Telemetry opt-out should not disable Channels feature flag

[BeRightOnce]

Bug / Feature Request

CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1 disables GrowthBook feature flag evaluation, which silently breaks Channels (--channels ignored (Channels are not currently available)).

Problem

Disabling telemetry is coupled with feature flag evaluation. Users who opt out of telemetry for privacy lose access to Channels and all other gated features — with no clear error message explaining why.

The workaround (completely removing the env var) forces users to choose between privacy preferences and product features.

Expected Behavior

Telemetry opt-out and feature flag evaluation should be independent controls. A user should be able to:

1. Opt out of telemetry/analytics
2. Still have feature flags evaluated so gated features (Channels, etc.) work

Reproduction

1. Set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1
2. Run claude --channels plugin:telegram@claude-plugins-official
3. See: --channels ignored (plugin:telegram@claude-plugins-official) Channels are not currently available
4. Remove the env var entirely → channels work

Environment

• Claude Code v2.1.81
• macOS
• Max plan (personal)

Related Issues

• Channels not available on personal Max plan - --channels ignored #36460 (Channels not available on personal Max plan)
• --channels plugin shows 'Channels are not currently available' but inbound notifications are ignored #36503 (Channels not currently available)

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. [BUG] DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 breaks remote-control with misleading "not yet enabled" error #29580
2. [BUG] DISABLE_TELEMETRY silently disables Opus 4.6 1M model on eligible plans (Max, Team, or Enterprise) #34178
3. keybindings.json user customization disabled when DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 #31852

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[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically closed as a duplicate of #29580.

If this is incorrect, please re-open this issue or create a new one.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.