France bans cold calling: New law requires prior consumer consent for telemarketers

FOX Local
Published August 11, 2026 2:29 PM MST

FILE - Man receives call from unknown number. (Getty Images)

The Brief

    • France has officially banned unsolicited telemarketing calls unless consumers give prior consent.
    • Illegal calls could result in fines of up to $87,000 for telemarketers and $435,000 for companies.
    • The new law follows years of complaints about unwanted and potentially fraudulent sales calls.

France has officially banned unsolicited telemarketing calls.

The new law is aimed at protecting consumers from intrusive sales pitches and shielding vulnerable people from fraudulent commercial practices. 

The law went into effect on Tuesday. 

Telemarketing calls and constant complaints

The backstory:

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 "That consent can be withdrawn at any time."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.

Up to $435,000 in fines

Dig deeper:

Telemarketers who make illegal calls could be fined up to $87,000 (75,000 euros) per call. 

Companies that solicit these types of phone calls could face fines of up to $435,000 (375,000 euros) per call. 

The only exception is if consumers consent to receiving marketing calls. 

Other countries with unsolicited call restrictions

Germany has had a similar ban in place since 2009.

The Netherlands recently tightened rules on telemarketing calls this year. 

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.

The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The Associated Press. 

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