Telegram bots have become increasingly popular in recent years. As more developers create bots for the platform, some misconceptions have emerged about their privacy and security compared to traditional web applications. In this post, we'll break down what Telegram bots are, what they know about you, and how they differ from web apps.
What is a Telegram Bot?
A Telegram bot is an application that runs on servers separate from Telegram's infrastructure. You interact with a bot via the Telegram app by exchanging messages with it, similar to chatting with a friend.
The bot processes your messages and responds accordingly. It can provide information, media, access other APIs, or offer any functionality programmed by its developer. Bots appear anonymous since you don't know where their servers are hosted, much like a website behind Cloudflare.
What Does a Telegram Bot Know About You?
A common misconception is that bots, due to their seemingly anonymous nature, compromise user privacy. In reality, when chatting with a bot, it has access to very little information about you. The bot receives your Telegram user ID number and the profile name you set in the app.
That's all - no IP address, device details, location, or other metadata. Bots only see the messages you send. There is no background data collection or tracking like many websites employ. Any interaction you have with a bot is purely textual, ensuring your device remains infection-free.
And no, bots can not possibly find out your phone number.
How Do Telegram Bots Differ From Websites?
Websites tend to offer many functions through complex graphical interfaces designed for mouse and keyboard input.
Telegram bots use simple text exchanges and inline buttons to provide focused functionality. They rely on Telegram's clients to handle media, formatting, and communication.
Bots can work asynchronously, processing requests for hours before sending a response when ready. Websites require you to wait for each result.
Some bots enable voice chatting for a more natural experience than websites provide. Bots also work well on smartwatches, where web browsing is difficult.
Telegram's encryption provides better security than websites, even with SSL. Also, unlike websites, governments cannot easily block bots.
Interestingly, while bots can't initiate conversations or store data on your device, their functionality isn't hampered. Data exchanges through bots are facilitated by Telegram, ensuring continuous interaction, whether you or the bot is offline.
How Are Telegram Bots Similar to Websites?
While bots are designed to be simple and streamlined, that doesn't restrict them from leveraging vast computational resources. Much like web apps, they can scale, utilizing clusters and server arrays to meet growing demands.
Example Use Cases
- Ilexa - A sophisticated bot offering image generation, translation, audio analysis, and more in one place. It’s an example of multi-functional bot with multiple features for different user groups. Pretty rare breed of bots.
- Single Purpose Bots - Bots for specific tasks like AI image generation from DALL-E or Midjourney, data aggregation, etc. That’s the most popular group of bots, and most well known and easier to make.
- Admin Bots - Managing channels, groups, and collecting user submissions anonymously. These exist in almost every channel, but often it’s one bot for a whole bunch of channels, some bots are even selling their services to channel owners.
Conclusion
In the digital crossroads where we stand, bots offer a fresh, efficient alternative to websites. Their elusive nature should inspire hope rather than skepticism. Next time you're presented with the option between a bot and a website, remember that in many instances, bots might be the superior choice.
When given the choice, Telegram bots are often superior to websites for privacy, security, and user experience. While there are some unknowns in their operation, bots provide new possibilities not easily achievable on the web. They are an exciting development with more potential than pitfalls.