France’s ban on unsolicited commercial calls took effect Tuesday, potentially putting between 40,000 and 50,000 jobs in Morocco’s call center industry at risk because of the sector’s heavy reliance on the French market.
The measure, adopted June 30, 2025, prohibits telemarketing without customers’ explicit consent and applies to Moroccan companies providing services to French customers, requiring them to comply with the same rules as companies operating in France.
Under the new rules, only service providers with active contracts may contact customers for technical or support-related purposes. Violations can result in fines of up to €75,000 ($86,000) for individuals and €375,000 ($430,000) for companies, as well as the possible revocation of operating licenses.
French authorities say the restrictions are needed as complaints about unsolicited commercial calls increased 113% in 2025. In 2024, about 97% of respondents said they strongly disliked cold calls.
The impact on Morocco could be significant. In March, Morocco’s Minister of Economic Inclusion Younes Sekkouri said more than 80% of the revenue generated by offshore customer relationship centers comes from France.
The sector provides nearly 120,000 direct jobs, mainly for young people and graduates, as well as about 50,000 indirect jobs. It attracted around 1.3 billion dirhams ($130 million) in investment in 2023 and contributes an estimated 10 billion to 12 billion dirhams to Morocco’s gross domestic product.
Industry estimates, however, suggest outbound cold calls account for only 15% to 20% of call center activity. Most operations focus on customer service, technical support and back-office work, which are not directly affected by the new restrictions.
Small call centers face greater risks
Trade union representatives have called for more precise estimates of the potential impact.
Union leader Ayoub Saoud told French newspaper Le Monde that the government’s estimate of 40,000 to 50,000 jobs at risk could be too low.
More than 600 call centers are officially authorized to operate in Morocco, Saoud said, while many others operate without authorization.
He said smaller call centers could face the greatest pressure because many depend heavily on cold-calling campaigns targeting French customers and may not be prepared to comply with the new rules.
The ban could therefore have an uneven impact across Morocco’s outsourcing industry, with companies focused on customer service and technical support better positioned to absorb the changes than those relying primarily on outbound sales calls.
Sector faces pressure to diversify
The new French rules come as Morocco’s call center industry was already facing pressure to adapt its business model.
Anas Benbrahim, a former call center agent, said the legislation is accelerating a decline that had already begun and could trigger a major shock to the sector in the coming months.
The Moroccan government said in March that it was preparing measures to cushion the industry from the impact of the French law. Those measures included helping companies expand into other European markets, including Germany, Spain and Italy.
But union representatives say the proposed support measures have yet to translate into concrete action.
For Morocco’s outsourcing industry, the immediate challenge is to determine how many jobs are genuinely exposed to the French restrictions and how quickly companies can shift toward other markets and services.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.