French cold calling ban threatens up to 50,000 jobs in Morocco's call center industry

This regulatory shift could impact between 40,000 and 50,000 jobs in Morocco, according to the minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills. Small and medium-sized enterprises, heavily reliant on commercial prospecting for the French market, are particularly vulnerable. The new law reverses the previous system where consumers had to opt out of calls; now, businesses must proactively obtain "free" and "informed" consent, which must be clear, positive, and valid for a maximum of one year without tacit renewal.

While the law does not ban all commercial calls, it specifically targets unsolicited prospecting. Calls related to existing contracts or those with prior consent are still permitted, but within strict timeframes Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 8 PM. The burden of proof for consent now lies with the professional.

This has led to immediate difficulties, with reports of a French company in Casablanca ceasing operations and leaving 48 employees without work or pay since July. The National Federation of Call Centers has expressed concern about employers potentially using the new regulation as a pretext for layoffs without respecting employee rights. Similar concerns are being raised in other Francophone outsourcing hubs like Tunisia, Senegal, and Madaga