France, Aug. 11 -- The law, approved by parliament last year and backed by President Emmanuel Macron's government, bans unsolicited telemarketing calls in a bid to strengthen consumer protection

While several countries have tried opt-out systems, France is hoping stricter mandatory opt-in rules will be more effective.

Previously in France, people who wanted to avoid marketing calls had to register their number with a government-run service, but consumer groups said some call centres ignored the list.

Now, "businesses are prohibited from contacting consumers without their prior consent", said Alice Vilcot, chief of staff at the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Prevention of Fraud. "That consent can be withdrawn ...