France has enacted a nationwide ban on unsolicited telemarketing calls, a move that consumer advocates describe as a significant shift in the sales industry. The prohibition, effective Tuesday, applies to businesses in all sectors, though certain exceptions remain.

Under the new rules, calls are allowed only when they relate to an existing contract or when the company has obtained explicit prior consent from the individual for marketing purposes. The measure aims to reduce the frequency of unwanted solicitations that many French residents experience.

Consumer group Que Choisir Ensemble welcomed the change, stating that "peace and quiet is a right" and that consumers should no longer be exposed to unwanted approaches. Group president Marie-Amandine Stévenin noted that the organization had long pushed for an end to the assumption that individuals in their homes or private lives are potential customers. She called the ban "a victory for consumers, the vast majority of whom do not want to receive sales calls."

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However, the reform has sparked backlash from some business groups and officials in Morocco, where the call center industry depends heavily on the French market. A Moroccan government minister estimated that the restrictions could result in the loss of up to 50,000 jobs, according to a report in the newspaper Le Matin.

Frédéric Billon, head of France's direct-selling trade association Fédération de la Vente Directe (FVD), criticized the reforms for adding administrative burdens, noting that businesses must now obtain written consent from customers and retain proof of that consent, as reported by the New York Times.

A 2025 parliamentary report found that 97% of people are annoyed by telemarketing calls, with authors noting it is "one of those rare issues that unites people in France." The report also indicated that 72% of French people said they were contacted on their mobile phones at least once a week, and 38% reported receiving calls once a day.

France joins other European countries, including Germany, Austria, and Italy, which already impose significant restrictions on cold calling. In the UK, most telemarketing calls remain legal if the recipient has not objected and their number is not on a statutory do-not-call list.

Source: BBC News