Telegram
Telegram Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging service that allows users to send messages, media, and files, participate in group chats and channels, and use bots and mini-apps, with optional paid features through Telegram Premium.
Analyzed May 21, 2026
Key findings
Summary
Telegram's terms emphasize privacy protections such as no ad-targeting and encryption, resulting in better-than-average data collection and sharing scores. However, standard risk areas remain around subscription billing (no partial refunds), account termination discretion, and silence on arbitration and content licensing, keeping the overall impact at a typical baseline level.
Category Breakdown
Telegram collects basic account data (phone number, profile info), optional data, and limited metadata for security/spam prevention, with explicit statements it does not collect data for profiling or ads.
From: PRIVACY POLICYWe don't use your data to show you ads. We only store the data that Telegram needs to function as a secure and feature-rich messaging service.View source document
Data is shared with bot developers only when a user actively interacts with bots, and Telegram states it does not use data for advertising or share it with data centers.
From: PRIVACY POLICYBy performing any of these actions, you will be sending some of your data to the respective third-party bot developers.View source document
The policy does not include a broad content license clause; public content is described as accessible to everyone but no explicit license grant to Telegram for commercial use is stated, so this defaults to standard/silent baseline.
From: PRIVACY POLICYLike everything on Telegram, the data you post in public communities is encrypted, both in storage and in transit — but everything you post in public will be accessible to everyone.View source document
Telegram may temporarily or permanently ban accounts for Terms of Service violations, spam, or abuse, with an appeal process available via a bot but no guaranteed compensation for lost Premium benefits.
From: TERMS OF SERVICEFailure to comply with the Telegram Terms of Service may result in a temporary or a permanent ban from Telegram or some of its services. In such instances, you might lose the benefits of Telegram Premium and we will not compensate you for this loss.View source document
No Arbitration Detected in the provided text; the document does not include arbitration, class-action waiver, or jury waiver language, only general references to legal requirements and compliance.
From: TERMS OF SERVICENo relevant clause found in this document.View source document
Telegram Premium auto-renews until canceled, offers no partial refunds for early cancellation, and requires the user to cancel through account settings or third-party app stores.
From: TERMS OF SERVICEGenerally, all charges for purchases are nonrefundable. It is not possible to get a “partial refund” or credit if a user wishes to cancel their recurring subscription early – it will remain valid until the end of its purchased duration.View source document