New law bans unsolicited calls

Since August 11, 2026, a new law in France prohibits telephone solicitation unless individuals have given their consent. The law aims to stop unwanted calls by requiring companies to obtain permission before contacting consumers.

Unwanted calls continue to rise

Despite the new law, the number of unsolicited calls has not decreased. Many of these calls are made by automated bots and are difficult to control due to their sheer volume. People report receiving even more calls than before the law was enacted.

Legal changes shift the burden

The Consumer Code was updated to require companies to obtain consent before making any commercial calls. Previously, individuals had to explicitly refuse calls and register on a tool called Bloctel, which was later abolished. This change was meant to simplify the process for consumers.

Law fails to curb fraudulent activity

The law was intended to reduce the number of unwanted calls, but in practice, it has not made a significant difference. Many people report that the situation has worsened, with some receiving dozens of calls daily. This suggests that the law has not been effective in stopping fraudulent activity.

NPV numbers used for scams

The calls often come from "verified multi-purpose numbers" (NPV), which are assigned by ARCEP, the French telecommunications regulator. These numbers are used by companies to make calls, but they can be resold to third parties for fraudulent purposes, including scams and even criminal activities.

Operators unable to control misuse

Companies like Cloud telecom, which resell NPVs, admit they cannot control how the numbers are used once they are sold. They can only act if they are informed of misuse and then block the numbers. This lack of control allows scammers to continue using these numbers for illegal activities.

International operators complicate enforcement

Some of the operators using NPVs are based abroad, making it harder for French authorities to regulate them. ARCEP allows foreign companies to use French numbers as long as they follow local rules. However, enforcement becomes more difficult when the operators are not based in France.

Regulators struggle with the scale

The DGCCRF, the French competition and consumer protection authority, reports a large number of complaints about abusive solicitation. Despite efforts to enforce the new law, the scale of the problem remains overwhelming, and it is unclear if the authorities have the resources to address it fully.

Operators shift to masked numbers

To avoid being blocked, some operators use masked numbers that hide their true identity. This allows them to continue making unsolicited calls from abroad, bypassing French regulations. This shift indicates that the problem is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.