France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls with fines up to €375,000 per call

New opt-in regime replaces Bloctel

France's new telemarketing law entered into force on 11 August 2026, shifting the country from an opt-out system to mandatory opt-in rules. The law, adopted by parliament on 30 June 2025 and backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government, prohibits businesses from contacting consumers without their prior consent. The previous system, known as Bloctel, allowed people to register their numbers on a government-run no-call list, but consumer groups said some call centres ignored the list.

Alice Vilcot, chief of staff at the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Prevention of Fraud, explained the new framework.

Businesses are prohibited from contacting consumers without their prior consent. That consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Widespread frustration and enforcement

Authorities estimate that about three-quarters of people in France receive at least one unsolicited sales call every week, and many receive more. A UFC-Que Choisir poll cited by Les Echos found that 97% of French people say they are still fed up with the practice, with nearly a third of the population receiving frequent calls. In 2024, 11 consumer organisations issued a joint call for a ban, denouncing what they called relentless harassment of consumers through countless unwanted telemarketing calls to both landlines and mobile phones, calling it an intrusion that has become a regular part of daily life.

Under the new law, individuals who make illegal calls can be fined up to €75,000 per call, while companies face fines of up to €375,000 per call. Vilcot noted that an Ireland-based company was fined €6 million last year for violating France's previous telemarketing rules by calling people on the no-call list.

Questions about effectiveness

Bogdan Bodnar, a tech and cyberwar journalist at La Tribune, told Franceinfo that Bloctel was quickly proven ineffective. A UFC-Que Choisir survey conducted weeks after Bloctel's 2016 launch found that nearly one in two registered people continued to receive calls. Bodnar said the disappearance of Bloctel would not be very visible and would not change much in the daily lives of French people.

Third-party companies that sought to sell you other contracts, or sometimes scams, will continue to be able to call you.

He described a range of technical workarounds including the use of spoofed phone numbers and shell companies. Bloctel was also reportedly hacked, with three million lines exposed, though Bodnar cautioned that hackers often bluff and claims should be treated carefully.

Impact on Morocco's call centre industry

The law has raised concerns in Morocco, where Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri told lawmakers that between 40,000 and 50,000 jobs are at risk in the country's call centres. According to Ouest France, Sekkouri admitted that these jobs could be exposed to a risk of disappearance. The industry has attracted around $100 million in investment and generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue in Morocco. Low labour costs, a large French-speaking workforce and relatively weak unions have made Morocco an attractive outsourcing destination, particularly for French firms seeking to reduce costs.

Exceptions and reporting

The law includes exceptions. Consumers may consent to receive marketing calls, for example by checking a consent box on a form. Companies can also contact existing customers with new commercial offers if they already have a contractual relationship. People can report unsolicited calls through a government website.