AI Calling Laws by Country: 2026 Quick Reference
Last verified · by Topcalls Team
Quick answer
Opt-in consent is the rule for consumer marketing calls in France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. The US, UK, Canada and Australia mainly use do-not-call registries, with stricter consent for automated or artificial voices. Checked against primary sources on 2026-11-14.
11 countries
The details
This page puts the outbound calling rules of 11 countries in one table: the consent model for consumer and business calls, the do-not-call registry, permitted calling hours, what the law says about automated or AI voices, and the regulator. Each fact comes from the law text or the regulator's own page, listed under Sources with the date checked. Where a fact could not be confirmed on a primary page, the table says so instead of guessing. Rules change often. France moved to opt-in for phone canvassing on 11 August 2026 and abolished Bloctel, so check the source before you rely on a row. Topcalls campaigns dial inside the calling hours you set, but consent, opt-outs and do-not-call scrubbing stay with you. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What are the AI disclosure laws by country?
| Country | Consent (consumers, then businesses) | Do-not-call registry | Calling hours | AI or automated voices | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Consumers: prior express written consent for marketing calls made with an autodialer or a prerecorded or artificial voice. Live calls to numbers on the registry are barred. Businesses: most business-to-business calls are exempt from the Telemarketing Sales Rule. | National Do Not Call Registry. Personal numbers only; business lines are not covered. | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., local time of the person called. | FCC ruling 24-17 (February 2024): AI-generated voices count as an artificial or prerecorded voice under the TCPA. | FCC (TCPA) and FTC (Telemarketing Sales Rule) |
| United Kingdom | Consumers: live calls are opt-out, so you may not call numbers on the TPS without specific consent. Automated calls that play a recorded message need prior consent. Businesses: the same rules apply, and companies can register on the CTPS. | TPS for individuals, CTPS for companies and other corporate bodies. | No hours found in the ICO guidance or the PECR text. | Recorded marketing calls from an automated calling system need the subscriber's prior consent (PECR regulation 19). No AI-specific rule confirmed. | ICO |
| Canada | Consumers: live calls are opt-out, so you may not call numbers on the National DNCL. Automatic dialing-announcing device calls need express prior consent. Businesses: exempt from the DNCL rules under CRTC decisions 2007-48 and 2014-155; check that this is still current. | National Do Not Call List. Telemarketers must register and subscribe. | Weekdays 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Automatic dialing-announcing devices need express prior consent. No AI-specific rule confirmed. | CRTC |
| Australia | Consumers: opt-out. Calls to registered numbers are banned unless the person consented. Businesses: business numbers cannot be registered; other B2B consent rules not confirmed. | Do Not Call Register, for numbers used mainly for private or domestic purposes. | Weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No Sundays or national public holidays. Time zone rule not confirmed. | The Telemarketing Industry Standard covers calls with a recorded or synthetic voice. The caller must offer a way, during the call, to request caller details. | ACMA |
| France | Consumers: opt-in. Phone canvassing without prior consent has been banned since 11 August 2026 (law 2025-594, decree 2026-662). Exceptions: an ongoing contract the call relates to, and press subscriptions. Businesses: not confirmed. | Bloctel was abolished on 11 August 2026. | Monday to Friday except public holidays, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 20:00, consumer's time zone. At most 4 calls per 30 days. | No AI-specific rule confirmed. The opt-in rule covers all phone canvassing. Automated-call platforms may not use 06 or 07 numbers to call individuals, and masked numbers are banned. | DGCCRF |
| Germany | Consumers: opt-in, prior express consent (UWG section 7). Businesses: at least presumed consent. | No national do-not-call registry found in the UWG text. | No fixed hours in the cited text. | Automated calling machines need prior express consent (UWG section 7(2) no. 2). | Bundesnetzagentur. Fines up to €300,000 for calls without consent. |
| Austria | Consumers: opt-in. Advertising calls without prior consent are unlawful (TKG 2021 section 174(1)), and consent can be withdrawn at any time. Businesses: the text makes no B2B exception. | No phone registry found in section 174. | No fixed hours in the cited text. | Not mentioned in section 174. The caller must not suppress or falsify the number shown. | Fernmeldebüro. Fines up to €100,000. |
| Spain | Consumers: prior consent or another GDPR legal basis (Ley 11/2022, article 66.1.b). Businesses: not confirmed. | Lista Robinson, run by Adigital. Check it before advertising to people who have not consented; a check is valid for one month. | No fixed hours in article 66. | Automated calls without human intervention need prior consent (article 66.1.a). No AI-disclosure rule found. | Not confirmed on a primary source |
| Italy | Consumers: opt-out through the registry, and registering cancels earlier telemarketing consents. Calls remain allowed for contracts in force or ended within 30 days, and where the person gave specific consent after registering. Businesses: not confirmed. | Registro Pubblico delle Opposizioni. It covers national fixed and mobile numbers, listed or not. | No fixed hours found. | Automated calls without an operator need consent (Privacy Code article 130(1)). | Garante per la protezione dei dati personali |
| Netherlands | Consumers: opt-in. Calls to a natural person need prior consent that the caller can prove (Telecommunicatiewet 11.7). Businesses: the live-call rule covers natural persons only. | Bel-me-niet Register. Its current status is not confirmed. | No fixed hours found. | Automated calling systems without human intervention need prior consent. | ACM |
| United Arab Emirates | Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024 sets the telemarketing rules and Resolution 57 of 2024 the penalties. The consent model is not confirmed here. | Do Not Call Registry, supervised by the TDRA. | Not confirmed on a primary source | Not confirmed on a primary source | TDRA |
How it compares
| Entity | Value | Category |
|---|---|---|
| France | Opt-in for phone canvassing since 11 August 2026 | Consent |
| Germany | Prior express consent for consumers | Consent |
| United States | Written consent for autodialed, prerecorded or AI-voice marketing calls | Consent |
| United Kingdom | Opt-out for live calls through the TPS, consent for automated calls | Consent |
| Canada | Opt-out for live calls, express consent for dialing-announcing devices | Consent |
| Australia | Opt-out through the Do Not Call Register | Consent |
| Netherlands | Provable prior consent for calls to individuals | Consent |
Sources
- US: 47 CFR 64.1200 (TCPA delivery restrictions) (2023 edition, checked 2026-11)
- US: 16 CFR Part 310 (Telemarketing Sales Rule) (2023 edition, checked 2026-11)
- US: FCC declaratory ruling 24-17 on AI-generated voices (2024)
- US: FTC National Do Not Call Registry FAQs (2026-11)
- UK: ICO guide to PECR, telephone marketing (2026-11)
- UK: Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, regulation 19 (2026-11)
- UK: Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, regulation 26 (2026-11)
- Canada: CRTC unsolicited telecommunications rules (2026-11)
- Canada: CRTC Telecom Decision 2007-48 (2007)
- Canada: CRTC Telecom Regulatory Policy 2014-155 (2014)
- Australia: Do Not Call Register legislation overview (ACMA) (2026-11)
- Australia: Telemarketing and Research Calls Industry Standard 2017 (2017)
- France: DGCCRF rules for phone canvassing (2026-11)
- France: DGCCRF notice that phone canvassing now needs consent (2026-11)
- Germany: UWG section 7 (unacceptable harassment) (2026-11)
- Germany: UWG section 20 (fines) (2026-11)
- Austria: TKG 2021 section 174 (2026-11)
- Austria: TKG 2021 section 188 (fines) (2026-11)
- Spain: Ley 11/2022, article 66 (BOE) (2022)
- Spain: Lista Robinson for companies (2026-11)
- Italy: DPR 26/2022 on the Registro delle Opposizioni (Normattiva) (2022)
- Italy: Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, telemarketing (2026-11)
- Netherlands: Staatsblad 2021, 103 (Telecommunicatiewet 11.7) (2021)
- Netherlands: ACM on proving consent for phone sales (2022)
- UAE: TDRA on telemarketing and voice spam (2026-11)
- UAE: u.ae telecommunications services (2026-11)
Frequently asked questions
What are the AI disclosure laws for outbound calling?
In the sources checked for this page, the rules that reach AI voices are consent rules for automated, recorded or artificial voices, not a standalone duty to announce the AI. The clearest example is the US FCC ruling of February 2024, which treats AI-generated voices as an artificial voice under the TCPA.
Is GDPR compliance required for AI outbound calling?
If you call people in the EU, the GDPR covers the personal data in the call, such as the phone number, the recording and the transcript. It sits on top of the national calling rules in the table, so you need a legal basis for the data as well as consent for the call.
Which countries require opt-in consent for cold calls?
France since 11 August 2026, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands require prior consent for consumer marketing calls. The US requires prior express written consent for autodialed, prerecorded or artificial-voice marketing calls. The UK, Canada and Australia use do-not-call registries for live calls.
What do the UK PECR rules say about AI calling?
PECR regulation 19 requires the subscriber's prior consent for recorded marketing calls from an automated calling system. Live marketing calls may not go to numbers on the TPS or CTPS without specific consent. The ICO guidance is under review because of the Data (Use and Access) Act.
What hours can you make marketing calls in each country?
The US allows 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time. Canada allows 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at weekends. France allows weekdays 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 20:00. Australia allows weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Did France end Bloctel?
Yes. The DGCCRF states that Bloctel was abolished on 11 August 2026, when the opt-in rule for phone canvassing took effect. It states penalties of up to €75,000 per call for an individual and €375,000 for a company.
Does Topcalls handle consent and do-not-call lists for me?
No. Topcalls campaigns dial inside the calling hours you set, but consent, opt-outs and do-not-call scrubbing stay with you, and Topcalls does not keep a do-not-call list. Treat this page as general information, not legal advice.
See it on your own numbers
AI calls from $0.25/min, priced by the destination country's zone. No seat fees for AI calling and no setup fees for self-serve AI calling.