France Bans Cold Calling:

What the New Cold Calling Law Means for Consumers and Small Businesses in France

If you live in France, you’ve probably had your fair share of nuisance calls.

Your phone rings, you answer, and instead of hearing from a friend or a company you actually deal with, it’s someone trying to sell solar panels, home insulation, insurance, energy contracts or investment opportunities.

For years, these unsolicited sales calls have been one of the biggest frustrations for consumers in France. The good news is that the law has changed.

From 11 August 2026, France has introduced one of the strictest anti-cold-calling laws in Europe. In most cases, businesses will no longer be allowed to make unsolicited marketing calls unless you have already given them permission.

Whether you’re a consumer tired of spam calls or a self-employed business owner wondering how this affects your marketing, here’s what you need to know.

Why has the law changed?

Until now, France operated an opt-out system.

Consumers could register their telephone number with Bloctel, the government’s “do not call” register, to indicate that they did not wish to receive marketing calls.

Unfortunately, many people continued to receive unwanted calls despite being registered. While legitimate businesses were expected to check Bloctel before making calls, many ignored the rules and scammers simply carried on regardless.

The government has now decided to reverse the system.

Instead of consumers having to say “Don’t call me,” businesses must now obtain your consent before they can contact you for marketing purposes.

What changes on 11 August 2026?

The new law means that companies generally cannot make unsolicited sales calls unless:

  • You have given your clear, prior consent (known as an opt-in).
  • The business can prove that you agreed to be contacted.
  • You are able to withdraw that consent at any time.

In simple terms:

Before: Companies could call you unless you had opted out.

Now: Companies cannot call you unless you have opted in.

This is a significant improvement in consumer protection and should dramatically reduce the number of legitimate nuisance calls people receive.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes.

Businesses may still contact existing customers in certain situations, for example to discuss:

  • An existing contract
  • Services you already receive
  • Products you’ve already purchased
  • Customer service issues

These calls are not considered unsolicited marketing in the same way as calling complete strangers.

Does this stop scam calls?

Unfortunately, no.

The new law applies to legitimate businesses operating in France. Criminals pretending to be from your bank, the tax office, Microsoft, your internet provider or a delivery company already ignore the law, so they are unlikely to be affected.

You should still be cautious if anyone phones unexpectedly asking for:

  • Your bank details
  • Passwords
  • One-time security codes
  • Payment by card or bank transfer
  • Remote access to your computer or phone

If you’re ever unsure, hang up and contact the organisation yourself using the telephone number published on its official website.

Don’t accidentally give permission

One thing to be aware of is that many websites ask for marketing consent when you:

  • Create an account
  • Enter a competition
  • Sign up for newsletters
  • Join loyalty schemes
  • Request information or a quote

Take a moment to read the consent boxes before ticking them. If you agree to receive marketing communications, you may also be agreeing to receive telephone calls.

You can usually withdraw your consent later, but it’s easier to avoid giving it if you don’t want promotional calls in the first place.

What happens to Bloctel?

Bloctel remains available until 11 August 2026, but after that it will no longer be needed.

Since businesses must now obtain your permission before making most marketing calls, the old opt-out register becomes largely redundant.

Useful tools to help stop unwanted calls

Although the new law should greatly reduce legitimate marketing calls, it won’t stop every nuisance call. Fortunately, there are several free tools that can help.

Saracroche

Saracroche is a free French app designed specifically to identify and block spam and scam calls. It uses a regularly updated database of nuisance numbers and can automatically warn you or block known spam callers before you answer.

If nuisance calls are a regular problem, it’s well worth installing.

Orange Téléphone

Even if you’re not an Orange customer, the free Orange Téléphone app is one of the best-known call-filtering apps in France. It identifies suspected spam callers using a community database and warns you before you answer.

SignalConso

If you’ve been treated unfairly by a business or believe a company has broken consumer protection rules, you can report the issue through SignalConso.

This is the French government’s official consumer reporting platform. You can report problems with retailers, tradespeople, online purchases, subscriptions, misleading sales practices and many other consumer issues.

In many cases, the business is contacted and encouraged to resolve the complaint before further action is taken.

Use your phone’s built-in protection

Both Android and iPhone now include built-in spam detection and call-blocking features. It’s worth checking your phone’s settings to make sure these are enabled, as they can automatically filter many known nuisance numbers.

What does this mean if you’re self-employed in France?

This new law doesn’t just affect consumers—it affects businesses too.

If you’re self-employed or run a small business, cold calling in France can no longer be part of your marketing strategy unless you’ve already obtained the person’s consent or they’re an existing customer.

For many expat businesses, this is actually an opportunity to focus on marketing methods that produce better-quality enquiries.

Build a professional website

Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business.

It should clearly explain:

  • What you do
  • Who you help
  • Where you work
  • How people can contact you

An informative website that appears in Google searches will bring you customers who are actively looking for your services.

Improve your Google visibility

If people can’t find your business online, they’ll find someone else’s.

Optimising your website for search engines (SEO) and creating a well-maintained Google Business Profile can significantly increase your visibility when people search for services in your area.

Use social media to build trust

Many English-speaking businesses in France already find clients through Facebook groups, LinkedIn, Instagram and local community pages.

Sharing helpful advice and answering questions builds credibility far more effectively than making unsolicited sales calls.

Build an email list

Instead of cold calling, encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or request information through your website.

As long as people actively choose to hear from you, you’ll have permission to keep in touch with useful updates and offers.

Ask for reviews and referrals

Happy customers are your best marketing team.

Encourage clients to leave Google reviews and recommend your business to friends and neighbours. Positive reviews improve both trust and your visibility in Google searches.

Keep records of consent

If someone asks you to contact them or agrees to receive marketing communications, keep a record of when and how they gave their consent.

Good record-keeping helps ensure your business complies with the new rules.

A positive change for small businesses

While this law may initially seem restrictive, it also creates a fairer marketplace.

Businesses that rely on expertise, trust and excellent customer service should benefit, while those depending on intrusive sales tactics will find it much harder to reach consumers.

For most self-employed expats, it’s another reminder that the best marketing isn’t chasing customers—it’s making it easy for customers to find and trust you.

Need help adapting your business?

Many self-employed expats are experts in their profession but don’t have the time or experience to build an effective online presence.

If you’re wondering how to attract new customers without cold calling, Help in France can help.

We work with English-speaking businesses across France to create practical, affordable marketing solutions that comply with the new rules.

Our services include:

  • Website creation and improvements
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
  • Google Business Profile setup and optimisation
  • Social media setup and guidance
  • Business administration support
  • Advice on building an email list and staying compliant with marketing regulations
  • General digital support for small businesses

Whether you’re a tradesperson, therapist, translator, relocation consultant, estate agent, virtual assistant or any other self-employed professional, we can help you build a marketing strategy that brings customers to you—without relying on cold calls.

Final thoughts

France’s new cold-calling law is good news for both consumers and reputable businesses.

Consumers should enjoy far fewer nuisance calls, while businesses are encouraged to invest in better, more effective ways of attracting customers.

Scammers won’t disappear overnight, so it’s still worth using tools such as Saracroche or Orange Téléphone, enabling your phone’s spam protection and reporting rogue businesses through SignalConso when necessary.

If you’re an English speaker living in France and need help navigating French bureaucracy, understanding new regulations or growing your business, Help in France is here to make life simpler.