You answer the phone and hear a recorded message offering to lower your loan repayments or arrange subsidised insulation work. These are robocalls — fully automated phone calls broadcast simultaneously to thousands of numbers. Their proliferation has become a major consumer problem in France despite existing regulations.
What is a robocall?
A robocall is a call triggered and managed entirely by software. The fundamental difference from a human call is marginal cost: a robocall costs a fraction of a cent to place, making million-call campaigns economically viable even with a tiny conversion rate.
French regulations: ARCEP and Bloctel
Since the law of 24 July 2020, automated commercial telemarketing calls are strictly regulated in France. Register your number on Bloctel (bloctel.gouv.fr) — this legally obliges commercial callers not to contact you. ARCEP monitors the network for abnormal automated call volumes.
Blocking robocalls and using TelCheck
All major French carriers offer call-filtering options. On iPhone, enable "Silence Unknown Callers". On Android, the built-in spam filter in the Phone app identifies suspicious calls automatically. For early warning on new numbers, TelCheck community reports are invaluable. If you receive a robocall, take thirty seconds to report the number on TelCheck and note the message content.