Privacy policy
Last updated: 9 October 2026
ChannelCred (channelcred.com) helps people check Telegram channels before they trust them. This page explains what personal data we collect, why, how long we keep it, and your rights, wherever you live. ChannelCred is run from India and is the controller (data fiduciary) of this data.
Visitors
Looking up a channel needs no account. We fetch public information about Telegram channels (name, username, description, subscriber count, picture) from Telegram and store it so we don't have to ask Telegram again. Our hosting provider keeps standard technical logs, such as IP addresses, for security, for up to 30 days.
Rating and reporting (Google sign-in)
To rate or report a channel you sign in with Google. We receive your Google account ID, name, email and profile picture (scopes openid email profile). We use them only to let each account rate a channel once and to show who posted a report. Your email is never shown. Reports are public with your first name and last initial (e.g. "Rahul S."), and the channel's verified owner can reply publicly. You can delete your report at any time.
Images attached to reports
You can attach up to 2 images to a report. Your browser shrinks them and removes hidden data such as location before upload. They stay private until our team checks them; approved images are shown publicly with your report, rejected ones are deleted. Deleting your report deletes its images.
Channel owners (Telegram login)
When you log in with Telegram, Telegram tells us your Telegram user ID, name, username and profile picture. We use them to keep you logged in and to know which channels you verified. We never see your phone number, chats or messages. If you verify with our bot, Telegram tells us who added it and who created the channel; the bot has no permissions and reads no messages.
Linking YouTube
Owners link YouTube without a Google login: they paste their channel link and add a short code to their YouTube channel description. We then read the channel's public details with the YouTube Data API (ID, name, handle, picture, subscriber and video counts, creation date and description, to find the code) and show them on the pages of the Telegram channels the owner verified. We never access anything private on YouTube. ChannelCred uses YouTube API Services: see the YouTube Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy.
Our use of information received from Google APIs follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Linking Instagram
Owners link Instagram without a Facebook login: they enter their Instagram username and add a short code to their bio. We then read the account's public profile (ID, username, name, picture, follower and post counts, and the bio, to find the code) using Instagram's official Business Discovery API, and show it on the pages of the Telegram channels the owner verified. This works for Business and Creator accounts. We never access anything private, post, or read messages. Owners can unlink at any time by contacting us.
Channels on ChannelCred
Anyone can look up a public Telegram channel, so ChannelCred may show a page for a channel whose owner never signed up. It shows only what the channel itself publishes on Telegram (name, username, description, picture, subscriber count) and changes to it over time, plus ratings and reports from users. If it's your channel and you want its page removed or corrected, use our contact form.
Contact form
When you write to us we keep your name, email, the channel you mention and your message for up to 2 years, as a record of the request and our answer, and use them only to handle it.
Your browser
We keep your sign-in in your browser's local storage. We don't use advertising or tracking cookies.
Who we share data with
We don't sell personal data or share it with advertisers, and we don't use it for advertising. We use Amazon Web Services (Mumbai, India region) to host the site and store data, and Telegram, Google and Meta to sign you in or link accounts. Paid plans are handled by a payment provider, which processes your payment details and billing address under its own privacy policy; we never see or store card numbers. We disclose data when the law requires it, or to protect users and the site from fraud or abuse. If you are outside India, your data is transferred to and stored in India.
How long we keep it
- Accounts, ratings and reports: until you delete them or ask us to delete your account.
- Public channel details and their change history: as long as the service runs.
- Contact form messages: up to 2 years.
- Payment records: as long as tax and accounting laws require.
- Security logs: up to 30 days.
Your rights
You can ask to see, correct, export or delete your personal data, object to or restrict how we use it, withdraw consent (delete your ratings and reports, or revoke Google or Facebook access), or nominate someone to act for you. Use our contact form or email support@channelcred.com. We reply within 5 days and complete requests within 30 days. We may ask you to confirm who you are. We use your data to provide the service you asked for, to keep the site safe, and where the law requires it. If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India or to the data protection authority where you live.
Children
Signing in is only for people aged 18 or over. We don't knowingly collect data from children.
Contact and grievances
Grievance Officer, ChannelCred: support@channelcred.com, or our contact form. See also our terms.