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# AI Cold Calling Laws in Denmark
> Is AI cold calling legal in Denmark? Opt-in rules for automated B2B and B2C calls under the Marketing Practices Act, the Robinson list, and call recording.
export const reviewed_0 = "October 2026"
In Denmark, an AI agent may only make marketing calls to people and businesses who agreed beforehand. The Marketing Practices Act (markedsføringsloven § 10) requires prior consent for automated marketing calls to anyone, companies included. The Consumer Contracts Act (forbrugeraftaleloven § 4) also bans sales calls to consumers without their express request, even when a human calls.
This page summarizes the law as of {reviewed_0} to help you plan AI phone calls. It isn't legal advice. Laws and how regulators apply them change, so check your use case with a lawyer before you start a campaign.
## At a glance
| Call | To consumers (B2C) | To businesses (B2B) |
| - | - | - |
| Inbound service call | Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording. | Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording. |
| Outbound service call | Allowed. No selling on the same call. | Allowed |
| Marketing callback the person asked for | Allowed. The request is the consent. For an AI agent, it must cover an AI call. | Allowed. The request is the consent. For an AI agent, it must cover an AI call. |
| Marketing call by an AI agent | Consent required. No customer exception for calls. | Consent required. The rule protects companies too. |
| Marketing call by a human | Consent required. No customer exception for calls.
Books, newspapers, insurance, and rescue services: allowed unless registered. | Allowed unless registered. Covers sole traders and companies with advertising protection. |
## Is AI cold calling legal in Denmark?
No, not without prior consent. [Markedsføringsloven § 10, stk. 1](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/1420) bans direct marketing through "et automatisk opkaldssystem" (an automatic calling system) unless the person "har givet sit forudgående samtykke hertil" (has given prior consent).
**The rule protects businesses too.** It covers "nogen" (anyone), so consumers, companies, and public authorities alike ([Consumer Ombudsman](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/media/bjajzdv1/vejledning-om-spamforbuddet-2021-a.pdf)). That goes beyond the EU minimum, so B2B automated calls need opt-in.
**An AI agent most likely counts as automated.** The bill defines the term as systems "uden menneskelige indgreb" (without human intervention), then describes a recorded advertising message ([LSF 40, 2016](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/ft/201612L00040)). No regulator or court has ruled on conversational AI agents. An AI agent that dials and talks on its own works without human intervention, so treat it as automated, even if a colleague monitors the call or can take over. This matters most for B2B calls and the exception sectors, since consumer sales calls need consent anyway.
## Cold calls by a human
**Consumers.** [Forbrugeraftaleloven § 4, stk. 1](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1184) bans sales calls to consumers "uden forudgående anmodning herom" (without their prior request), whether they're on Robinsonlisten or not. Promises made on such a call don't bind the consumer (§ 5).
**Exceptions.** Books, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, insurance, and rescue or ambulance subscriptions fall outside the ban (§ 4, stk. 2, and § 1, stk. 4). People on Robinsonlisten and people who objected stay off-limits ([markedsføringsloven § 10, stk. 4](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/1420)). AI calls in these sectors still need consent.
**Businesses.** You may call companies such as an A/S or ApS without consent ([Consumer Ombudsman overview](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/media/56664/oversigt-over-reglerne-for-telefonsalg.pdf)). Sole traders count as natural persons, so skip them if their business address is on Robinsonlisten or they objected. Don't use numbers from the CVR business register when a company registered advertising protection (CVR-loven § 19).
## Existing customers and callback requests
**No soft opt-in for calls.** The customer exception in § 10, stk. 2 only covers email. Service calls, such as a warning about a planned outage, are fine, but selling on that call isn't ([Consumer Ombudsman](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/alle-emner/uanmodede-henvendelser/telefonsalg)).
**Callbacks.** A consumer's express request for a call is the consent the law asks for. Stay within the topic they asked about. A practical route is your own ads leading to a form where people ask for a callback by your AI agent.
## Do-not-call register: Robinsonlisten
| | |
| - | - |
| Run by | [CPR-kontoret](https://www.cpr.dk/kunder/robinsonlisten), the Danish civil registration office |
| Who's on it | Natural persons, including sole traders, who opted out of direct marketing |
| What it lists | Names and addresses, not phone numbers, so you compare your contacts with it |
| Updates | Quarterly, in January, April, July, and October |
| Access | Business login through the CPR service desk. The page lists no price. |
Check the current list before human calls to sole traders or to consumers in the exception sectors. Consent overrides the list (§ 10, stk. 5). For AI calls you need consent anyway, so the list matters less, but respect every objection right away.
## Consent for AI calls
Consent must be voluntary, specific, informed, and unambiguous (markedsføringsloven § 2, nr. 14). For consumers, it must also be an express request for a call. The Consumer Ombudsman's [guidance](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/media/bjajzdv1/vejledning-om-spamforbuddet-2021-a.pdf) spells this out:
| Requirement | What it means |
| - | - |
| Content | Which companies call, how (say that an AI agent calls), about which products, and that the person can withdraw consent |
| Burden of proof | You prove consent, also when you bought it |
| Evidence | Contact details, timestamp, the exact text shown, and a screenshot of the form. An IP address alone isn't enough. |
| Retention | As long as you use the consent, plus two years |
| Expiry | Consent from a multi-company competition lapses after about a year without use |
| Transfer | Consent given to one company doesn't pass to another, unless it takes over the business |
**Purchased leads fail often.** The Consumer Ombudsman rejected bought consents in several electricity cases, most recently the [ENLY police report](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/nyheder/forbrugerombudsmanden/pressemeddelelser/2026/20260709-forbrugerombudsmanden-politianmelder-igen-groen-elforsyning-as-nu-enly-as-for-ulovligt-telefonsalg-og-vildledning) of July 2026. Before you buy, ask for the consent text, the collection method, and the evidence per contact.
**Data protection.** Where consumer law requires consent, Datatilsynet expects GDPR consent for the data processing too, collected at the same time ([guidance](https://cdn.datatilsynet.dk/datatilsynet/Media/638237218449834564/Vejledning%20om%20direkte%20markedsf%C3%B8ring.pdf)).
botBrains asks for consent evidence before automated campaigns. See [before you start outbound campaigns](/concepts/phone/countries#before-you-start-outbound-campaigns).
## Tell callers they're talking to an AI
Since August 2, 2026, [Article 50 of the EU AI Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202401689#art_50) requires that people know they're talking to an AI system, at the latest when the conversation starts. This applies to inbound and outbound calls, to consumers and to business contacts, and you can't count on the exception for obvious cases when your AI agent sounds human. The [default introduction](/concepts/phone#introductions) already says that your AI agent is an AI, so keep that statement first when you edit it. When you call a consumer to sell something, the [Consumer Rights Directive](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/83/oj/eng) also requires you to name your company, anyone you call for, and the commercial purpose at the start.
Danish law adds three duties at the start of a sales call:
* **Who and why.** Give your name, the company you call for, and the commercial purpose ([forbrugeraftaleloven § 11, stk. 3](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1184)). For financial services, also name the person speaking and their link to the company (§ 14, stk. 3).
* **Right to object.** On the first marketing call to a natural person, say clearly that they can refuse further marketing for free ([markedsføringsloven § 10, stk. 6](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/1420)).
* **Recording.** For financial services and insurance, say if you record the call ([Act no. 723 of 2025](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/723), in force since June 19, 2026).
Recommended introduction for outbound marketing calls. Replace `[emne]` with the topic the person agreed to:
```text theme={null}
Hej, det er {agent_name} fra {project_name}. Jeg er en AI-agent, ikke et menneske. Jeg ringer, fordi du har bedt om at høre om [emne]. Samtalen bliver optaget. Tryk på stjernetasten, hvis du ikke vil optages. Du kan altid frabede dig flere opkald fra os. Sig det bare, så ringer vi ikke igen.
```
For inbound calls:
```text theme={null}
Hej, du taler med {agent_name} fra {project_name}. Jeg er en AI-agent. Samtalen bliver optaget. Tryk på stjernetasten, hvis du ikke vil optages. Hvad kan jeg hjælpe med?
```
Use [guidance](/concepts/guidance) to tell the AI agent how to handle a request not to call again, and a [Unitool](/concepts/unitools) to write it to your CRM.
## Call recording
**Criminal law.** [Straffeloven § 263, stk. 2](https://www.datatilsynet.dk/regler-og-vejledning/optagelser-og-tv-overvaagning) only punishes secret recording of conversations you don't take part in. Recording your own calls isn't a crime.
**Data protection.** [Datatilsynet's guidance](https://cdn.datatilsynet.dk/datatilsynet/Media/638477264404280979/Optagelse%20af%20telefonsamtaler.pdf) from April 2024 sets the rules:
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
| - | - |
| Quality and training | Legitimate interest, if the caller can opt out before or during the call, for example with a key press |
| Documentation of agreements | Legitimate interest, only if you can't document the content another way. Otherwise consent by key press. |
Say that you record, why, and on what legal basis, and link to details on your website. Datatilsynet suggests deleting recordings after about three months unless a dispute needs them. The botBrains default fits the quality model: the star key stops and discards the recording, and the transcript stays.
**Voice isn't automatically biometric data.** A recording only becomes biometric data when you process it to identify someone ([GDPR Art. 4(14) and Art. 9](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj)). Recording and transcribing for quality doesn't.
## Caller ID and calling hours
We found no Danish statute on calling hours or a special prefix for marketing calls. Persistent unwanted calls count as an aggressive practice ([markedsføringsloven](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/1420), annex 1, no. 26). The person you call sees your botBrains number, and botBrains provisions Danish numbers on request. botBrains doesn't enforce calling hours, so schedule calls at reasonable times yourself.
## Sector rules
| Sector | Rule |
| - | - |
| Electricity | Since July 1, 2026, record marketing calls to household consumers in full, also calls by partners, and say so at the start. Keep recordings for one year, or six months if no contract follows. Contracts need MitID or a signature. Without the recording, the contract doesn't bind the consumer ([BEK nr. 1810, §§ 3 and 4](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1810)). Remove the star-key offer from the introduction for these calls. |
| Financial services | Since June 19, 2026, consumers can ask for personal service when you sell through online tools. If you market in Danish, give the information in Danish ([§ 14, stk. 6, and § 14 b, stk. 3](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/723)). Offer a transfer to a human. |
| Insurance, books, newspapers, rescue services | A human may cold call consumers unless they're on Robinsonlisten or objected.
AI calls still need consent. |
## Fines and enforcement
The Consumer Ombudsman (Forbrugerombudsmanden) enforces both acts and reports cases to the police. Courts or accepted fine notices set the fines, and both companies and directors can face them. There's no fixed cap. Fines depend on severity, turnover, and the extent of the calls (markedsføringsloven § 37).
| Case | Outcome |
| - | - |
| Grøn Elforsyning, 27 consumers called without valid consent | [DKK 700,000 fine](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/nyheder/forbrugerombudsmanden/pressemeddelelser/2025/20250402-groen-elforsyning-betaler-boede-paa-700000-kroner-for-ulovligt-telefonsalg-og-vildledning-af-forbrugerne), 2025 |
| Energi+, illegal and misleading telephone sales | [DKK 850,000, director DKK 200,000](https://taenk.dk/forbrugerliv/bolig/elselskaber-bag-ulovligt-telefonsalg), Retten i Roskilde, 2024 |
| Electricity company, lead-competition consents | [DKK 400,000](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/find-sager/sager/markedsfoeringsloven/sager-efter-markedsfoeringsloven/teleomraadet/2405637-et-elselskab-vedtog-en-udenretlig-boede-for-ulovligt-telefonsalg), 2025 |
| Calls to four sole traders on Robinsonlisten | [DKK 40,000](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/find-sager/sager/markedsfoeringsloven/sager-efter-markedsfoeringsloven/spam/boede-for-at-ringe-til-indehavere-af-enkeltmandsvirksomheder-paa-robinsonlisten) |
We found no Danish case on AI agents or robocalls so far.
## Sources
* Forbrugeraftaleloven, LBK nr. 1184 (2025), §§ 1, 4, 5, 11, 14 and 34: [retsinformation.dk](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1184)
* Act no. 723 of June 20, 2025 on distance sales of financial services: [retsinformation.dk](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/723)
* Markedsføringsloven, LBK nr. 1420 (2024), §§ 2, 10 and 37, annex 1: [retsinformation.dk](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/1420)
* Bill for the Marketing Practices Act, 2016/1 LSF 40, remarks on § 10: [retsinformation.dk](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/ft/201612L00040)
* BEK nr. 1810 (2025) on electricity suppliers, §§ 3, 4 and 41: [retsinformation.dk](https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1810)
* ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC, Art. 13: [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2002/58/oj)
* GDPR, Art. 4(14) and Art. 9: [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj)
* Consumer Ombudsman, overview of telephone sales rules (2021): [forbrugerombudsmanden.dk](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/media/56664/oversigt-over-reglerne-for-telefonsalg.pdf)
* Consumer Ombudsman, telephone sales: [forbrugerombudsmanden.dk](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/alle-emner/uanmodede-henvendelser/telefonsalg)
* Consumer Ombudsman, Robinsonlisten: [forbrugerombudsmanden.dk](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/alle-emner/uanmodede-henvendelser/robinsonlisten)
* Consumer Ombudsman, spam guidance (2021): [forbrugerombudsmanden.dk](https://forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/media/bjajzdv1/vejledning-om-spamforbuddet-2021-a.pdf)
* CPR, Robinsonlisten for businesses: [cpr.dk](https://www.cpr.dk/kunder/robinsonlisten)
* Datatilsynet, direct marketing guidance (June 2023): [datatilsynet.dk](https://cdn.datatilsynet.dk/datatilsynet/Media/638237218449834564/Vejledning%20om%20direkte%20markedsf%C3%B8ring.pdf)
* Datatilsynet, recording phone calls (April 2024) and straffeloven § 263: [guidance](https://cdn.datatilsynet.dk/datatilsynet/Media/638477264404280979/Optagelse%20af%20telefonsamtaler.pdf), [overview](https://www.datatilsynet.dk/regler-og-vejledning/optagelser-og-tv-overvaagning)
## Next steps
Set up your phone line, introductions, and outbound calls.
Compare consent rules for AI calls across the EU, the UK, and the US.
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