France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls
Cold calling is coming to an end in France, with one consumer group calling the ban a "small revolution".
France has implemented a ban on unsolicited telemarketing calls, a move that a consumer organization is hailing as a "small revolution" for the sales industry.
As of Tuesday, businesses across all sectors are prohibited from making unsolicited calls, though certain exceptions apply. Calls will only be permissible if they pertain to an existing contract a person has, or if the company has secured prior consent for marketing contact.
"It cannot be stressed enough that peace and quiet is a right, and it is time to stop exposing consumers to unwanted solicitations," stated Que Choisir Ensemble, a consumer advocacy group. Marie-Amandine Stévenin, the group's president, added, "This observation also holds true online and on the street, which are saturated with demands to consume." She noted that the group had long championed "for an end to the automatic assumption that someone in their home or private life is a potential customer," calling the new law "a victory for consumers, the vast majority of whom do not want to receive sales calls."
However, the change in law has drawn criticism from some business groups and officials in Morocco, where the call center industry heavily relies on the French market. A report in the Moroccan newspaper Le Matin indicated that one government minister estimated the telemarketing restrictions could result in the loss of up to 50,000 jobs.
Frédéric Billon, head of France's direct-selling trade association, the Fédération de la Vente Directe (FVD), also criticized the reforms, citing what he described as increased administrative burdens for businesses. As reported by the New York Times, Billon stated, "You'll have to obtain written consent from your customer, and you'll also have to keep proof of that consent."
A 2025 parliamentary report revealed that 97% of individuals are annoyed by telemarketing calls, with the authors humorously observing that it is "one of those rare issues that unites people in France." The same report found that 72% of French people reported receiving calls on their mobile phones at least once a week, while 38% said they were called daily.
Among other European nations, Germany, Austria, and Italy enforce significant restrictions on telemarketing calls, often referred to as cold calls. In the UK, most telemarketing calls are legal, provided the recipient has not objected and their number is not on a statutory list of individuals or businesses who wish to avoid such calls.