Cold-calling: how new laws will impact people in France
The change will reduce unsolicited calls, but scams and overseas callers may remain a challenge
Published
People in France are set to receive fewer unwanted sales calls from August 11, when new rules will come into effect making cold-calling much more restricted.
From that date, businesses will generally no longer be allowed to contact consumers by phone for marketing purposes unless the person has given permission or the call relates to an existing customer relationship.
Currently, businesses can make commercial calls, but consumers can use Bloctel to opt out of most telephone marketing.
Some sectors already face stricter rules. Telephone marketing for energy renovation work and equipment has been prohibited since 2020 following complaints about abusive practices and scams.
What will change for consumers in France?
From August 11, people will no longer need to register their number to avoid most commercial calls.
Instead, a company will only be able to make a marketing call if:
The consumer has clearly agreed in advance to be contacted (opt-in system) or
The call relates to an existing contract with that company
There is an exception for telephone sales of newspaper, magazine and periodical subscriptions which will continue to be permitted.
Otherwise, businesses will need to prove that they obtained valid consent before making marketing calls (if a contract does not already exist).
Consumers will also be able to withdraw their consent at any time and stop receiving future marketing calls.
Meanwhile, the rules on permitted calling hours will also remain the same. Commercial calls will only be allowed:
Monday to Friday
From 10:00 to 13:00
From 14:00 to 20:00
Calls will remain prohibited on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays unless a consumer has specifically agreed to be contacted outside these hours at a clearly defined date and time.
What about scams and unwanted calls?
The new rules should reduce unwanted sales calls from legitimate businesses, but they will not completely remove all nuisance calls.
One of the biggest challenges will be dealing with fraudulent calls made from outside France. Calls from overseas, including countries outside the European Union, can be harder for French authorities to trace and stop.
Some operators use foreign numbers or hide their true location, making enforcement more difficult. This means some scam calls and illegal solicitations may continue after the new rules take effect.
For people who want extra protection, Saracroche is one of the tools available. This free app was created to help users identify and block unwanted and suspicious calls, including some scam attempts.
Consumers can also report abusive telephone solicitation through Signal Conso, the official reporting platform managed by France’s consumer protection authority, the DGCCRF.
Fraudulent calls and spam messages can also be reported through the 33700 service.
