Goodbye to phone spam: Spain bans commercial calls from mobile phones

Spain has taken an important step to protect users from unwanted commercial calls. Since June 7, 2025, companies can no longer make advertising calls from mobile numbers or from hidden or unassigned numbers. This measure, part of a broader strategy against fraud and phone harassment, aims to strengthen consumer rights and put an end to invasive practices that, until now, were all too common.

What does this new regulation mean?

According to Order TDF/149/2025, commercial calls may only be made from identifiable numbers such as:

• Geographic numbers (landline prefixes)
• Toll-free numbers (800 or 900)
• Specific codes assigned by operators

The goal is to eliminate the use of mobile phones in commercial campaigns, making spoofing (identity spoofing) more difficult.óviles en campañas comerciales, dificultando así el spoofing (suplantación de identidad).

Official data on blocking

Since March, operators have started blocking suspicious calls and SMS. In just three months:

• More than 14 million fraudulent calls were blocked
• Over 10,000 fraudulent SMS were identified and stopped every day

These figures highlight the scale of the problem and the need for effective regulation.

Key legal changes

1. End of contracts without consent
   From now on, any contract made without express and verifiable consent will be considered null. Companies must renew consent every two years.
2. Distinct prefixes for commercial calls
   Promotional and customer service calls must use different prefixes. If this distinction is not respected, operators will be required to automatically block the call.
3. Fines for non-compliance
   Penalties can reach up to 2 million euros for serious violations, such as:
   • Calling without consent
   • Persisting after a previous block
   • Formalizing invalid contracts

Origin of these measures

These actions are part of the reform of the Customer Service Act (SAC Law), promoted by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda. Although the ban on calls without consent has been in place since 2023, legal loopholes that allowed abusive practices have now been closed.

And what about Europe?

Spain is aligning itself with countries such as Finland, France, and Germany, which have already implemented similar regulations. For example, in Finland, phone scams dropped by 90% after the entry into force of a comparable law.

What about commercial SMS?

For now, promotional SMS are still allowed, but imminent restrictions are on the way. In 2026, the CNMC will launch a national database to validate SMS senders, reducing text message fraud.

What should your company do now?

❌ What you can no longer do

You can’t use mobile lines (prefixes 6 or 7) to:

• Offer products or services
• Advertise promotions
• Conduct commercial surveys

✅ Legal alternatives

• Use landline numbers (geographic prefixes)

• Set up a virtual switchboard with a landline number

• Use 800 or 900 toll-free lines for customer service

• Request short numbers authorized by the CNMC

Note: This rule only applies to calls and SMS. Communications via WhatsApp or commercial email are not affected… yet.

In summary: privacy and control for users

This regulation marks a step forward in protecting consumers against phone spam and the misuse of their data. If your company runs telephone campaigns, now is the time to adapt your strategies and ensure compliance with the regulation.