France is banning unsolicited telemarketing calls starting next week
[August 06, 2026] By
SYLVIE CORBET
PARIS (AP) — France next week will ban unsolicited telemarketing calls
under a new law aimed at protecting consumers from intrusive sales
pitches and shielding vulnerable people from fraudulent commercial
practices.
The law backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government enters into
force on Aug. 11.
Here's a look at the law and its potential impact.
People have been complaining for years
Previously in France, people who wanted to avoid marketing calls had to
register their number with a government-run service, but consumer groups
said some call centers ignored the list.
Now, "businesses are prohibited from contacting consumers without their
prior consent,” said Alice Vilcot, chief of staff at the
Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Prevention of
Fraud. “That consent can be withdrawn at any time.”
The government says the law is a response to years of consumer
complaints. Authorities estimate 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 organizations issued a joint call for a ban,
denouncing “relentless harassment of consumers through countless
unwanted telemarketing calls to both landlines and mobile phones — an
intrusion that has become a regular part of their daily lives.”
Parliament approved the law last year.
An unwanted call faces fines of up to 375,000 euros
Individuals who make illegal calls can be fined up to 75,000 euros
($87,000) per call. Companies can face fines of up to 375,000 euros
($435,000) per call.
There are exceptions. Consumers may consent to receive marketing calls,
for example by checking a consent box on a form. Companies can contact
customers with new commercial offers if they already have a contractual
relationship.
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People can report unsolicited calls through a government website.
Vilcot noted that an Ireland-based company was fined 6 million euros
($6.9 million) last year for violating France’s previous telemarketing
rules by calling people on the no-call list.
France's new law has raised concerns in Morocco, where the minister of
employment, Younes Sekkouri, said in March that between 40,000 and
50,000 jobs were at risk in the country’s call centers. Sekkouri said
the French market accounts for more than 80% of revenue in the sector.
Other countries have tried to limit calls
Neighboring Germany has had a similar ban since 2009.
Many other countries rely on opt-out systems.
In the United States, people can sign up for the national Do Not Call
registry, which cuts down on unwanted sales calls, Canada has its own Do
Not Call list, while the U.K. has the Telephone Preference Service.
In Britain, companies that call people who have opted out can be fined
up to 500,000 pounds ($670,000) per call.
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AP writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
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