France will prohibit unsolicited commercial telemarketing by phone, text message, email or social media starting August 11 unless companies obtain clear prior consent from consumers.
Until now, French legislation considered consumers consenting to commercial calls unless they had registered on the Bloctel opt-out list. Under the new rules, the Ministry of Economy stated on its website that silence or pre-checked boxes will no longer count as valid consent.
To validate consent, businesses must explicitly request it through an active consumer step, such as checking a box in a store, signing an online form, or saying yes during a recorded home visit. The ministry added that professionals must state their identity, the company they represent, the exact purpose of the proposed call, such as an insurance proposal or promotional offer, and the validity period of the consent up to a maximum of one year. Consumers can withdraw consent at any time.
Companies may still contact consumers without separate prospecting consent in two specific cases: if the call concerns an existing contract, or if prior agreement was already given. For existing customers, the Ministry of Economy noted that businesses can offer complementary products or services, or offers aimed at improving service performance.
Sanctions and enforcement penalties
Fines for non-compliance are severe, reaching up to 75,000 euros per call for an individual and 375,000 euros for a company. Alice Vilcot-Dutarte, spokesperson for the General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), told TF1info that a successful sale made through telemarketing without consent is treated as a misleading commercial practice or abuse of weakness.
In those criminal cases, penalties can increase to 300,000 euros per call for an individual and 1.5 million euros or 10 percent of turnover for a company, alongside potential prison sentences. Vilcot-Dutarte added that any company contacting people in France must follow French law, noting that foreign locations or automated robot calls present no obstacle to enforcement. In 2025, the DGCCRF inspected 6,300 establishments and issued 11 million euros in total fines for violations such as falsified numbers and calls in forbidden sectors.
Reporting illegal telemarketing calls
The cabinet of Economy Minister Serge Papin stated that any unsolicited contact under the new law constitutes fraud and urged consumers to report violations to the DGCCRF Signal Conso platform. Consumers can submit reports online for calls received outside authorized legal hours, which are Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Reports can also be filed if a consumer receives at least five calls from the same company or receives a call after notifying the firm of a refusal. The DGCCRF confirmed that reports will be forwarded to the business involved, callers can remain anonymous, and fraud authorities may open an investigation based on the submitted information.
