France Bans Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls From Aug. 11, With Fines Up to 375,000 Euros
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 5
France Bans Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls From Aug. 11, With Fines Up to 375,000 Euros
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 5
Summary
Aug. 11 marks the start of France’s ban on unsolicited telemarketing calls, replacing the old opt-out system with a rule requiring consumers’ prior consent.
Three-quarters of people in France receive at least one unwanted sales call a week, and the government says years of complaints and fraud concerns drove the law.
375,000 euros per call is the maximum fine for companies, while individuals face up to 75,000 euros; consumers can still opt in, and existing customer relationships remain an exception.
A 6 million euro fine imposed last year on an Ireland-based company for breaching earlier no-call rules underscores tougher enforcement under the new regime.
40,000 to 50,000 call-center jobs in Morocco have been flagged as at risk because the French market generates more than 80% of the sector’s revenue there.
With France's strict telemarketing ban starting in days, can authorities actually enforce massive fines on offshore call centers ignoring the new rules?
As France kills cold calling, will the resulting offshore job losses trigger a global shift toward AI-driven customer service instead?
Could France's radical shift to an opt-in system finally force countries like the US and UK to abandon their failing no-call registries?