France is banning unsolicited telemarketing calls starting next week

A person uses his phone near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File) By SYLVIE CORBET Updated 5:35 PM MESZ, August 5, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit 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. 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 “That consent can be withdrawn at any time.”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.” 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. France’s National Assembly gives final approval to assisted-dying bill after years of debate 1 MIN READ A timeline of Marine Le Pen’s political career and the rise of the French far right 3 MIN READ French prosecutors investigating racist insults against Mbappé by Paraguay senator 3 MIN READ 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. Neighboring Germany has had a similar ban since 2009. In Britain, companies that call people who have opted out can be fined up to 500,000 pounds ($670,000) per call. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter