France is preparing to overhaul its approach to telemarketing with a new law that effectively ends the era of unsolicited cold calling. Starting Tuesday, 11 August, the government, backed by Emmanuel Macron’s administration, will enforce stricter regulations aimed at shielding consumers from intrusive commercial solicitations and potential fraudulent activities. Under the new mandate, it will be illegal for companies to contact individuals without their prior consent.
Alice Vilcot, chief of staff at the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, emphasized that this required consent must be something that can be withdrawn at any time. Exceptions to the ban are limited: businesses may still contact individuals if they have already secured explicit agreement through a previous purchase, a shop visit, or a signed form, or if the call pertains directly to an existing contract.
The move follows years of mounting consumer complaints, with authorities estimating that roughly three-quarters of the population in France receive at least one unsolicited sales call every week. Public frustration has been echoed by figures like content creator Micode, who has investigated the aggressive tactics and deceptive schemes often employed by these call centers. In 2024, a coalition of eleven consumer organizations formally demanded a ban, describing the constant influx of unwanted marketing calls as a form of relentless harassment.
The financial consequences for non-compliance will be significant. Individuals could face fines of up to 75,000 euros per call, while companies may be penalized with fines reaching 375,000 euros per incident. The French finance ministry, Bercy, stated that the country is transitioning from an opt-out system to one strictly based on prior consent. While previous measures had restricted canvassing at certain times or prohibited the use of specific mobile number prefixes, those rules only applied to narrow sectors like energy-efficiency renovation or personal training accounts. The new legislation covers almost all industry sectors.
Despite the government's move, concerns remain. Marie-Amandine Stévenin, president of the consumer association Que Choisir, warned that fraudsters might simply shift their tactics to door-to-door canvassing, which she argues will require its own set of regulations. Meanwhile, the news has caused economic concern in Morocco, a major hub for French call centers. Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri informed MPs that up to 50,000 jobs could be at risk, as the sector generates over one billion dollars in annual revenue for the country. Youssef Chraïbi, president of the Moroccan Outsourcing Services Federation, noted that while the French market historically represents over 80% of the sector's revenue, pure telemarketing now makes up only 15% to 20% of their total activity.
International precedents for such bans already exist, such as the United Kingdom’s Telephone Preference Service and Canada’s "Do Not Call List." In the UK, companies found calling individuals who have opted out can face fines of up to 500,000 pounds, or approximately 583,000 euros, per call.
