I’ve been seeing a lot of Telegram bots lately and I’m wondering about their security. Some of my friends use them for different things like getting news updates, managing tasks, or even playing games.
But I’m worried about privacy and safety issues. Do these bots collect personal information? Can they access my messages or contacts? Are there any risks I should know about before starting to use them?
I want to try some bots but I don’t want to put my account or personal data at risk. Has anyone here had bad experiences with Telegram bots? What should I look out for to stay safe while using them?
Security risk depends on the bot type and what you’re sharing. People freak out thinking bots see everything, but that’s not how Telegram works. I run a small community channel - legit bots are sandboxed well. They only see messages sent directly to them or in groups where they’re added. Bigger issue is data retention. Some bot operators store chat logs forever with zero clear policies. I check the bot’s description for contact info or a website first. No way to reach the developer or understand their data handling? I skip it. Popular bots with thousands of users are usually more reliable - they’ve got reputation at stake. I avoid third-party bots completely for sensitive stuff like finance tracking or personal scheduling. But weather updates or simple games? Pretty low risk if you don’t share personal details.
Telegram bots can be sketchy - depends who builds them. Telegram’s fine, but bots are only as trustworthy as their creators.
Ran into this at work when we needed secure Telegram notifications. Couldn’t use random third-party bots because of compliance rules.
Watch out for:
Bots wanting unnecessary permissions
Unknown developers with zero reputation
Bots requesting contact/message history access
Any bot asking for passwords or sensitive info
Best bet? Build your own automation instead of trusting randoms. I use Latenode for custom Telegram integrations - does exactly what I need without security risks. Connect Telegram to other services, automate responses, handle data processing while keeping control.
Way better than hoping some random dev has decent security. You know what data gets processed and where it goes.
Been using Telegram bots for two years - most are fine if you stick to reputable ones. Just understand what permissions you’re giving them when you start. Telegram’s bot sandboxing is pretty decent. They can’t read your private messages unless you send them something directly. Can’t access your contacts or other chats either. But once you interact with a bot, the owner can potentially log whatever you send. Had one sketchy experience with a file conversion bot that kept uploaded files way too long. Nothing bad happened, but made me more careful about what I share. Now I check if the bot has a proper privacy policy and never send sensitive documents or personal info through any bot. For basic stuff like weather or simple utilities, risk is minimal. Official bots from verified accounts are generally safe.