From 11 August 2026, telephone canvassing will most likely be prohibited in France without the express prior consent of the consumer. An agreement was reached on 6 May in a committee of deputies and senators on the final text.

 

This reform is a turning point in protecting consumers from unsolicited commercial calls. Until now, French consumers had to register on the Bloctel list to indicate that they did not want to be contacted. The Bloctel system has often been criticized and does not help block unwanted calls.

The new legislation reverses the principle: no commercial call may be made without the express consent of the recipient. The aim of this measure is to significantly reduce the number of unwanted telephone calls.

Exceptions

There will still be room for exceptions. For example, companies may only contact existing customers for offers that relate to their current contract and current product. For certain activities, telemarketing will remain completely prohibited. Enforcement will be tightened. For this, various supervisors (including the anti-fraud DGCCRF, telecom watchdog ARCEP and privacy protector CNIL) join forces and exchange data. Critics fear the loss of 50.000 jobs in France.

The law is currently expected to be adopted by Parliament today after a vote in the National Assembly, followed by a vote in the Senate on Wednesday, May 21. (LCP)

Customer Experience