{
  "id": 550679,
  "title": "France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls, with hefty fines for violators",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/france-bans-unsolicited-telemarketing-calls-with-hefty-fines-for-550679",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-11T09:37:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260811/france-bans-unsolicited-telemarketing-calls-with-hefty-fines-for-violators"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "France has enacted a new law banning unsolicited telemarketing calls, with the goal of protecting consumers from unwanted sales pitches and shielding vulnerable individuals from fraudulent practices. President Emmanuel Macron's government implemented the regulation on Tuesday, following years of consumer complaints and concerns about the effectiveness of opt-out systems in other countries.\n\nUnder the new law, businesses are prohibited from contacting consumers without their explicit consent, a requirement that can be withdrawn at any time. This change represents a shift from the previous system, in which French citizens needed to register their numbers with a government-run service to avoid marketing calls. According to Alice Vilcot, chief of staff at the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Prevention of Fraud, \"businesses are prohibited from contacting consumers without their prior consent,\" highlighting the more stringent nature of the new rules.\n\nAuthorities estimate that approximately three-quarters of the French population will be affected by these regulations, signaling the government's commitment to enhancing consumer protection and curbing fraudulent commercial practices.",
  "summary": "France has enacted a new law banning unsolicited telemarketing calls, with the aim of protecting consumers from intrusive sales pitches and preventing fraudulent commercial practices. The measure, backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government, came into effect on Tuesday, and replaces the previous opt-out system with obligatory opt-in rules. Businesses are now prohibited from contacting consumers without their prior consent, and individuals can withdraw their consent at any time. The government estimates that around three-quarters of people in France have registered their numbers with the government-run service to avoid marketing calls, but consumer groups have complained that some call centers ignored the list.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls, with hefty fines for violators",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/france-bans-unsolicited-telemarketing-calls-with-hefty-fines-for",
        "published": "2026-08-11T08:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls, with hefty fines for violators",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/france-bans-unsolicited-telemarketing-calls-with-hefty-fines-for-551644",
        "published": "2026-08-11T09:47:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}