What changed on 11 August 2026
The reform comes from French law n° 2025-594 of 30 June 2025. It reverses the logic: until then, a consumer who no longer wanted to be called had to register on Bloctel; now the business must obtain consent before calling. According to the DGCCRF, the French consumer protection authority, this consent must be:
- active: a box ticked by the person, a signature, a recorded "yes". Silence or a pre-ticked box is worth nothing;
- informed: the person knows who the business is, the precise purpose of the calls and how long the consent lasts, one year at most;
- revocable at any time, even orally during a call.
The business must keep proof of this consent for three years and provide it to the person on request. And calling someone… to ask whether they agree to be called is forbidden.
Exceptions and outright bans
Still allowed without new consent: calls about a newspaper or magazine subscription, and calls made within an ongoing contract, including to offer a product or service related to that contract. A business may also call back a person who made an explicit request, such as a quote request, within five working days.
Conversely, three sectors remain completely banned from telephone canvassing, even with consent: energy renovation, home adaptation for loss of autonomy, and the personal training account (CPF).
Hours, frequency, penalties
When a call to a consumer is allowed, it may only take place Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 8 pm, with four calls per month at most. If the person says no, the call ends and they must not be contacted again. The DGCCRF announces fines of up to €75,000 per call for an individual and up to €375,000 for a company, with the penalties made public.
What about business-to-business calls?
These rules protect the consumer, meaning, under the French Consumer Code, a natural person acting outside their professional activity. Calling a plumber, a garage or a practice to present a service useful to their trade is business-to-business prospecting, which remains possible.
It is not unregulated. The CNIL, the French data protection authority, accepts that it rests on the legitimate interest of the calling company when the purpose of the call is related to the profession of the person contacted; its example is presenting software to a company's IT director. Each call must let the person know who is calling and refuse further calls by a simple, free means. The CNIL applies these rules to calls made by automated calling systems too.
Two nuances matter for small businesses:
- A tradesperson is also a private individual. Calling them on their mobile about a service related to their business is B2B; calling them to sell an offer unrelated to their trade is canvassing a private person, under consumer rules.
- A refusal applies to what follows. A professional who says "don't call me again" must leave the call list, and the list must remember them so they are not called in the next campaign.
An AI agent must say it is an AI
Since 2 August 2026, Article 50 of the European regulation on artificial intelligence (the AI Act) applies: AI systems that interact directly with people must be designed so that those people know they are dealing with an AI, from the start of the first interaction and in a clear way, unless it is obvious. On the phone, with a natural voice, it never is: you have to say it.
In practice the first sentence is enough, for example: "Hello, this is Claire, Accueil IA's AI assistant. This call is recorded." It says who is calling, that it is an AI and that the call is recorded. Hiding the nature of the caller to "get past the gatekeeper" now breaches the regulation, and it is also the surest way to lose the other person's trust at the first hesitation.
Checklist before launching calls
| Question | Expected answer |
|---|---|
| Who are we calling? | Professionals, about something related to their trade. Consumers only with proven prior consent. |
| Where does the list come from? | A lawful source: published business contact details, customers, contacts who gave consent. |
| Does the call say who is calling? | The company name in the first sentence. |
| Does the AI disclose itself? | Yes, from the start, in plain words. |
| Is recording announced? | Yes, if the call is recorded. |
| Can the person refuse simply? | A "no" is enough; the call ends politely. |
| Is the refusal remembered? | The number leaves the list and is not called again. |
| Is the sector allowed? | Never energy renovation, home adaptation or CPF-funded training towards consumers. |
How we apply it
Our outbound calling agents call professionals, about offers that concern their business, and introduce themselves as AI assistants from the first sentence. The same voice engine answers inbound calls for French businesses (Accueil IA in English). To hear a call, listen to an example (in French) or book a demo. The French version of this guide is here.
Sources (in French): DGCCRF, telephone canvassing now forbidden without consent and telephone canvassing rules for businesses; CNIL, commercial prospecting by e-mail, SMS-MMS and automated calling; European Commission, transparency obligations under Article 50. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Related questions
Does Bloctel still exist?
No. With the reform applying from 11 August 2026, Bloctel ended: it is now up to the business to obtain the consumer's consent before calling.
Can I still call a tradesperson to offer a service?
Yes, if the service concerns their trade: that is business-to-business prospecting. Say who is calling, let them refuse simply, and do not call again if they refuse.
Do the 10 am to 8 pm hours apply to B2B?
They are set for canvassing consumers. Between businesses, calling during the company's opening hours remains the common-sense rule: that is when you reach the right person.
Must an AI agent always say it is an AI?
Yes, since 2 August 2026: the person must know from the start of the exchange, unless it is obvious, which is not the case on the phone.
Can I call a consumer who asked for a quote?
Yes, the DGCCRF accepts a call following the person's explicit request, within five working days.