France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls

France has enacted a law banning unsolicited telemarketing calls, effective August 11, 2026. The law, backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government, requires businesses to obtain prior consent from consumers before making marketing calls, shifting from the previous opt-out system (Bloctel) to an opt-in model. Violators face fines up to 75,000 euros for individuals and 375,000 euros for companies per call. The law includes exceptions for existing contractual relationships and explicit consumer consent. It responds to years of consumer complaints, with estimates that about three-quarters of French people receive unsolicited sales calls weekly. The ban has raised concerns in Morocco, where up to 50,000 call center jobs could be at risk, as France is a major market for Moroccan outsourcing firms. Other countries like Germany, the Netherlands, the US, Canada, and the UK have similar or related regulations.