Spain promises to kill spam calls « Euro Weekly News

Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs says it’s hanging up on spam for good – and it’s doing it with the force of law. But is this really the crackdown people have been crying out for, or just window dressing? Under a bold new proposal, mobile operators will – in theory, be forced to BLOCK all unwanted sales calls – making it the toughest crackdown yet on nuisance callers. But that’s on paper. Read on to find out what’s happening and how it might affect you.

Announced by Spain’s Minister for Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, the move is being billed as a ‘common sense’ clampdown on the current spam call chaos. Speaking to Cadena SER, the minister said the changes will be voted on ‘in the coming weeks’ and could be law before the summer. ‘There is near-unanimous support for these measures,’ according to official sources. ‘It’s time the public stopped being pestered in their own homes.’

The end of spam calls in Spain?

Let’s face it: the spam call game might have gone too far. Despite a 2023 law already banning unsolicited sales calls, shady companies have wormed their way around the rules, citing cookies, past purchases, or the classic ‘you didn’t opt out properly’ excuse. Even supposedly responsible companies like Vodafone and Jazztel are apparently outsourcing sales calls to shady third-party marketing companies that bend the rules.  

But this time, the government isn’t just saying ‘no’ – it’s pulling the plug completely.

Here’s what the new plan includes:

• A compulsory caller ID code for all sales calls – a specific number prefix that tells you it’s a sales pitch before you even pick up.
• A total block on all unidentified or non-compliant sales numbers – telecom giants will be legally obliged to stop them at the source.
• All contracts signed during a non-consented call will be null and void – meaning even if a scammy deal gets through, it won’t stick.

The bold measures will be written into a revised version of the Customer Services Law (Ley SAC), currently making its way through Parliament. The law is being fast-tracked after stalling in the last legislature – it even went to the Council of Ministers via an emergency route in February.

If passed, it could finally silence the call centres plaguing homes from Fuengirola to Ferrol.

A slap to the spammers – and more reforms to come

And it doesn’t stop there. The Ministry has slipped in a bundle of consumer-boosting changes that aim to clean up some of the grubbiest corners of modern customer service.

Among them:

• Ban on fake reviews – Businesses will be able to demand the removal of reviews proven to be fake or from people who never used the service. Ratings will be limited to 30 days after the purchase.
• No more automatic renewals without warning – Sneaky subscription traps will be a thing of the past. Services like apps and streaming platforms must notify users at least 15 days before renewing any contract.
• No more hidden ticket fees – That €40 concert ticket magically turning into €62? Not for much longer. All “processing fees” must now be included in the advertised price from the start.
• Three-minute max wait times for customer service calls – Plus, no more robot-only helplines. That’s right, a human voice may finally return to customer care. How they plan to monitor and enforce the 3-minute rule is still a mystery.

The telecoms must act – but is this really goodbye, or just a glow-up for spam?

To make the spam-blocking plan work, the government will revise Spain’s National Numbering Plan – a fancy way of saying they’ll carve out a special block of phone numbers just for telemarketing. And if a call doesn’t come from one of these official numbers? Boom – it gets blocked.

Sounds great, right? But hang on – is this really a war on spam, or just regulation dressed up as resistance? By slapping a shiny ID badge on every sales call, is the government stopping the nuisance, or simply keeping tabs on it? Critics might ask: Are we killing spam, or giving it a uniform and a whistle?

Could this even legitimise cold calls, turning them into an ‘approved nuisance’? Will shady call centres just adapt, buying up official prefixes and marching on under new colours? And how exactly will regulators stop spoofed numbers or rogue overseas calls that don’t play by local rules?

The move is likely to send shockwaves through the call centre industry – especially the murky world of subcontractors and data resellers, many of whom flog shady contracts sealed over the phone. But let’s not kid ourselves: if these players have survived this long, they’ll likely find new tricks unless serious fines and real enforcement come with the package.

So yes, if the laws pass, they’ll have to ask twice before they pester you – but the real question has to be: is this the end of spam calls in Spain, or just the start of Spam Lite™ – new packaging, same old pain?

Get more original news and stories about life in Spain.

Stay tuned for more UK news.