Cold-calling law by jurisdiction

Cold calling is legal in every major market — but the rules change depending on which country, which regulator, and whether the number you’re dialling belongs to a consumer or a business. Get it wrong and the fines are real: the UK’s ICO issued £2.7 million in telemarketing penalties in 2024 alone. The US FCC levied over $300 million in TCPA enforcement actions the same year.

This hub breaks the legal framework down by jurisdiction. Each page covers the primary statute ( PECR Regulation 21 in the UK, TCPA § 227 in the US, the ePrivacy Directive across the EU), the opt-in or opt-out regime it creates, the specific exemptions available to B2B callers, and the enforcement track record that tells you how seriously the regulator actually pursues violations. Where a jurisdiction has a national do-not-call registry — TPS, CTPS, the US DNC — we explain the registration mechanics and the penalties for ignoring them.

Every guide is written for operators, not lawyers. Plain English, worked examples, and the specific language you need in your opener to stay compliant. Need a compliant opener built for you? The AI script builder generates one in seconds, anchored to the Pardoe Framework protocols. If your outbound team dials across borders, start with the jurisdiction your prospects sit in — not the one your office is in. That distinction catches more teams than any other.