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France Bans Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls

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France has introduced a nationwide ban on unsolicited telemarketing calls, a move consumer advocates have described as a major victory for privacy. Businesses across all sectors can no longer make marketing calls without prior consent, except when contacting customers about an existing contract.

Consumer group Que Choisir Ensemble welcomed the change, saying people should have the right to peace and privacy without being treated as potential customers in their homes. A 2025 parliamentary report found that 97% of French people are annoyed by telemarketing calls, while 72% said they received such calls on their mobile phones at least once a week.

The restrictions have drawn criticism from business groups and raised concerns in Morocco, whose call-centre industry depends heavily on French clients. One Moroccan government minister estimated the changes could threaten up to 50,000 jobs. France now joins countries including Germany, Austria and Italy in imposing significant restrictions on unsolicited marketing calls.

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US Ski Resort Giants Face Price-Fixing Lawsuit

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Major U.S. ski resort operators, including Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company, have been sued in a federal court in Colorado over allegations of price-fixing. The proposed class-action lawsuit claims the companies worked with a ski industry association and a research firm to coordinate prices for lift tickets and multi-mountain season passes, affecting thousands of customers.

The lawsuit alleges the resort operators shared confidential pricing, revenue, and cost data with research firm RRC Associates, which then produced reports that helped guide pricing strategies across the industry. Plaintiffs also claim the widespread use of a shared dynamic-pricing platform contributed to coordinated pricing and reduced competition.

The defendants have not yet responded to the latest lawsuit. This is the second major antitrust case filed against Vail and Alterra in recent months, following an earlier lawsuit accusing the companies of unfairly bundling access to multiple ski resorts through season pass programmes.

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UK Watchdog Probes Ryanair Family Seat Fees

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The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Ryanair over charges imposed on parents who want to sit next to their children on flights. The regulator is examining whether the airline’s “mandatory family seat” policy, which typically costs around £8 each way, is unfair under consumer protection laws. Ryanair’s terms require parents to sit with children aged between two and 11, raising concerns that families may be paying extra for a requirement linked to child safety obligations.

The CMA will also assess whether the seat reservation fee is clearly presented during the booking process or added later as an extra charge. According to the watchdog, Ryanair appears to be the only major airline operating from the UK that charges parents in this way, while other carriers generally seat families together at no additional cost. The investigation remains at an early stage, and the CMA has not yet concluded whether any laws have been broken.

Ryanair has strongly rejected the investigation, describing it as “bogus” and insisting its family seating policy complies with all applicable laws. The airline stated that only one adult seat reservation fee is charged per booking, while up to four children can be seated next to that adult free of charge. Consumer group Which? welcomed the CMA’s move, arguing that families should not be forced to pay extra simply to sit with young children during flights.

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German Court Rules Milka Misled Consumers With Shrinking Chocolate Bar

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A court in Germany has ruled that chocolate maker Mondelēz International misled consumers by reducing the size of its popular Milka Alpenmilch chocolate bar while keeping nearly identical packaging. The case, brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office, accused the company of deceiving buyers after shrinking the bar from 100g to 90g while also increasing the price from €1.49 to €1.99.

The Bremen regional court said the unchanged purple wrapper created a misleading impression for customers familiar with the product over many years. Judges ruled that the issue was not the packaging itself, but the gap between consumer expectations and the actual product size. The court stated that clearer and more noticeable labeling about the reduced weight was necessary to avoid deception. Mondelēz said it respected the decision and would review the ruling, though it still has the option to appeal.

The case has become one of Germany’s biggest examples of “shrinkflation” — the practice of reducing product sizes while maintaining or increasing prices due to rising production costs. Consumer groups say chocolate has been especially affected because of soaring cocoa prices linked to poor harvests in West Africa. Other products, including toothpaste, oats, and coffee, have also faced similar criticism, while brands like Ritter Sport have also come under scrutiny for reducing chocolate bar weights.

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