OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
2:02 PM – Tuesday, August 11, 2026
France has implemented a law banning unsolicited telemarketing calls, shifting the country from an “opt-out” registry system to an obligatory prior consent (“opt-in”) framework.
The law reportedly took effect Tuesday after it was adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate — France’s two chambers of Parliament — on June 30, 2025, and formally promulgated by French President Emmanuel Macron.
France has replaced its former opt-out system, a national registry called “Bloctel,” which operated similarly to the U.S. National “Do Not Call” Registry, with a prior consent “opt-in” framework. The change was made after years of consumer complaints regarding non-compliant call centers that routinely ignored the opt-out list.
Under the new law, companies are prohibited from making unsolicited marketing calls to consumers who have not explicitly given prior consent to be contacted.
However, this restriction does not apply across the board: companies remain permitted to call existing customers with whom they have an active contractual relationship, provided the call relates directly to their existing contract or related services and the customer has not previously requested to opt out.
“Peace and quiet is a right,” stated Marie-Amandine Stévenin. President of leading consumer advocacy group, Que Choisir Ensemble. “This observation holds true both online and on the street, where we are inundated with calls to consume.”
Frédéric Billon, head of the trade association Fédération de la Vente Directe, claims that the law will strain local businesses accustomed to casually calling their customers. He added that this could put French companies at a disadvantage against foreign competitors operating outside the law’s reach.
“Today, that ‘without giving it much thought’ approach no longer exists,” he said. “You’ll have to obtain written consent from your customer, and you’ll also have to keep proof of that consent.”
France’s new regulations are also causing concern in Morocco, where Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri warned that around 50,000 call center jobs are now at risk. However, Youssef Chraïbi, president of the Moroccan Federation for Outsourcing Services, noted that “pure telemarketing now represents only 15% to 20% of total activity” in the country.
According to The New York Times, citing a parliamentary report, 97% of the French population complains they are annoyed by daily cold calls, which have been steadily increasing in recent years.
Individuals who make illegal calls can be fined up to 75,000 euros ($87,000) per call. Companies can also face fines of up to 375,000 euros ($435,000) per call. For calls targeting vulnerable individuals, there could be an additional prison sentence of up to five years.
“From a legislative standpoint, we couldn’t do any better,” said French Senator Pierre-Jean Verzelen, who was behind the initial bill, at the time of the law’s adoption in 2025. “The government will have to act immediately, hitting companies that don’t play by the rules hard and fast. That’s the price we’ll have to pay to get results.”
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