France will make prior consent from consumers mandatory for telemarketing calls starting from August 11.

A decree published on Saturday by the authorities in France establishes that, starting from August 11, telemarketing companies will no longer be able to contact customers without their prior consent.

This regulation will replace the Bloctel unsubscribe list, which is considered ineffective.

Consent must be clear, specific, and revocable, and the request for consent must include information about the identity of the professional and the terms of the request, which cannot exceed one year. Consumers can withdraw their consent at any time, and the withdrawal process will not be more complicated than the process of obtaining consent.

This measure comes in the context where 97% of French people have reported being disturbed by telemarketing calls, which has led Parliament to adopt this legislation.