France Mandates Explicit Consent for Telephone Marketing from August 11

France is implementing stricter rules for telephone marketing, requiring companies to obtain explicit consent from consumers before making unsolicited calls. This new regulation, detailed in a decree published on July 25 in the Official Journal, marks a significant shift in consumer protection.

The decree stipulates that this consent "cannot be subject to tacit renewal." This means that companies cannot simply assume continued permission based on a previous agreement. Consumers will need to actively reaffirm their consent, preventing persistent marketing calls that consumers may no longer desire.

This measure is considered more restrictive than the current Bloctel list, which allows consumers to register their phone numbers to opt out of marketing calls. The new requirement places the onus on companies to proactively seek and document permission, rather than relying on consumers to opt out.

The regulation aims to give consumers greater control over unwanted marketing communications and reduce the nuisance of cold calling.