Lead

France will ban unsolicited telemarketing calls starting Tuesday, August 11, under a new law approved by parliament and backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government. The measure, reported by France 24 and RFI, requires businesses to obtain consumers' prior consent before making marketing calls, replacing an earlier opt-out system in which people had to register their numbers to avoid being contacted. The government says the law is a response to years of consumer complaints, and authorities estimate about three-quarters of people in France receive at least one unwanted sales call every week.

Individuals who make illegal calls face fines of up to €75,000 per call, while companies risk up to €375,000 per call. Consumers may still give consent, for example by checking a box on a form, and companies with an existing contractual relationship can contact customers with new offers. There is also a provision for reporting unsolicited calls through a government website.

Coverage of the law

Both France 24 and RFI adopted a consumer-protection framing, emphasizing how the law shifts France from an opt-out to a stricter opt-in approach. They also reported that in 2024, 11 consumer organisations issued a joint call for a ban, denouncing the “intrusive” and “increasingly relentless” harassment of consumers. The two outlets noted that the ban follows years of complaints about call centres that ignored the previous no-call list.

The new measure has produced a notable side effect: it has stirred concerns in Morocco, where up to 50,000 jobs are given at risk in the country's call-centre industry. France is the largest market for Moroccan call centres, historically accounting for more than 80 percent of the industry's revenue, as reported by both outlets. While the law is meant to shield vulnerable consumers, reports from Morocco have flagged the potential economic blow to a sector that attracts significant investment.

Key claims

  • France's new law bans unsolicited telemarketing calls, effectively from August 11, in a bid to strengthen consumer protection and shield vulnerable people from fraudulent commercial practices.
  • Individuals who violate the opt-in rule face fines up to €75,000 per call, and companies up to €375,000 per call.
  • Consumers may still agree to receive marketing calls by granting consent, such as checking a box, and companies with an existing contractual relationship can contact customers with new offers.
  • France 24 and RFI reported that about three-quarters of people in France receive at least one unsolicited sales call every week, and many receive more.
  • In 2024, 11 consumer organisations issued a joint call for a ban, speaking of “relentless harassment” and an “intrusion” that had become a regular part of consumer’s daily lives.
  • The law raises concerns in Morocco: up to 50,000 jobs could be at risk in the country’s call centres, which have attracted about $100 million in investment and generate more than $1 billion a year in revenue. The French market historically contributed around 80% of the industry’s revenue.
  • An Ireland-based company was fined €6 million last year after violating France’s previous telemarketing rules by calling people on the no-call list, a detail reported by RFI - Radio France.

Context

Several other (US) and nether countries have already implemented stricter measures to crack down on unwanted calls. Germany has prohibited unsolicited telemarketing since 2009, and the Netherlands recently tightened rules on companies calling their own customers. In the United States, the national Do-Not-Call registry reduces total sales calls, while Britain can impose penalties of up to £500,000 for calls to people who have opted out. These international parallels, carried by the outlets, put France’s move into a broader regulatory Effort to reduce a long-standing subject of consumer frustration.