France has banned unsolicited telemarketing phone calls effective Tuesday, allowing companies to make calls only if they relate to an existing contract or have prior consent from the consumer. A report from 2025 found that 97% of people are annoyed by such calls and 72% receive at least one call on their mobile phones per week. The new law has been hailed as a "small revolution" by a consumer advocacy group, but some business groups, including the Fédération de la Vente Directe (FVD), have criticized it for adding administrative burdens. Morocco's government minister estimates that up to 50,000 jobs may be lost due to the telemarketing restrictions.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-14,
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Story summary
France has banned unsolicited telemarketing phone calls, effective Tuesday. This new law prohibits businesses from calling consumers without prior consent or an existing contract. Consumer advocacy group Que Choisir Ensemble is hailing this change as a "small revolution" for the sales industry and a victory for consumers, who the group says are often bombarded with unwanted solicitations. According to the group's president, Marie-Amandine Stévenin, this law change is necessary because it no longer assumes that individuals in their private lives are potential customers. However, some business groups have expressed opposition to the new law, including officials in Morocco, where the call centre sector relies heavily on the French market. The law allows businesses to contact consumers if they have obtained prior consent or if the call is related to an existing contract.
Written for “French Telemarketing Ban” on 2026-08-31,
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 789 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-26
- Published
France has banned unsolicited telemarketing phone calls, in what a consumer group is hailing as a "small revolution" for the sales industry.
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group → ban → industry
From Tuesday, unsolicited calls are prohibited for businesses in all sectors - but there are some exceptions.
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calls → prohibit → sectors
Calls will only be permitted if they relate to a contract a person has already entered into or the company has obtained prior consent to be contacted for marketing.
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company → permit → marketing
"It cannot be stressed enough that peace and quiet is a right, and it is time to stop exposing consumers to unwanted solicitations," consumer advocacy group Que Choisir Ensemble, said in a statement.
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Ensemble → stress → statement
"This observation also holds true online and on the street, which are saturated with demands to consume," group president Marie-Amandine Stévenin added.
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Stévenin → hold → demands
She said the group had long been advocating "for an end to the automatic assumption that someone in their home or private life is a potential customer.
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someone → say → home
"
"This is a victory for consumers, the vast majority of whom do not want to receive sales calls," she said.
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she → want → calls
But the law change has riled some business groups, and officials in Morocco, where the call centre sector is heavily reliant on the French market.
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sector → rile → market
One government minister estimated the telemarketing restrictions could lead to the loss of up to 50,000 jobs, according to a report in Moroccan newspaper Le Matin.
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restrictions → estimate → Matin
The head of France's direct-selling trade association, the Fédération de la Vente Directe (FVD), also criticised the reforms for adding what he said were administrative burdens for businesses.
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he → criticise → businesses
"You'll have to obtain written consent from your customer, and you'll also have to keep proof of that consent," Frédéric Billon said in comments reported by the New York Times.
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Billon → have → Times
According to a 2025 parliamentary report, 97% of people are annoyed by telemarketing calls, with the authors wryly noting it is "one of those rare issues that unites people in France".
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that → accord → France
The same report found 72% of French people reported being contacted on their mobile phones at least once a week, while 38% said they were called once a day.
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they → find → phones
Germany, Austria and Italy are among the European countries that impose significant restrictions on telemarketing calls, often referred to as cold calls.
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that → impose → calls
In the UK, most telemarketing calls are legal provided the recipient has not objected to the call and their number is not on a statutory list of people or businesses who do not want to receive calls.
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who → provide → calls
