> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.botbrains.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI Cold Calling Laws in Estonia

> Is AI cold calling legal in Estonia? Consent rules for automated calls under VÕS § 60 and ESS § 103¹, no do-not-call register, recording, and AI disclosure.

export const reviewed_0 = "October 2026"

In Estonia, an AI agent may only make marketing calls to consumers who agreed beforehand. Section 60 of the Law of Obligations Act (võlaõigusseadus, VÕS) requires prior consent for offers to consumers through an automated calling system that needs no human intervention. Calls to companies need no consent, but offer them a free way to refuse further calls. Estonia has no do-not-call register, so a human may call consumers until they object.

<Note>
  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.
</Note>

## At a glance

| Call | To consumers (B2C) | To businesses (B2B) |
| - | - | - |
| Inbound service call | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording, in Estonian. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording. |
| Outbound service call | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Keep offers out unless the person agreed. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed |
| Marketing callback the person asked for | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. The request is the consent. For an AI agent, it must cover an AI call. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed |
| Marketing call by an AI agent to existing customers | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required. VÕS § 60 has no customer exception. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Companies: allowed. Offer a free way to refuse on every call.<br /><Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Sole traders: allowed for similar products if you offered a free opt-out when you collected the number and on every call. |
| Cold marketing call by an AI agent | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Companies: allowed. Offer a free way to refuse on every call.<br /><Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Sole traders: consent required. |
| Marketing call by a human | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Stop when the person refuses. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Respect objections. |

## Is AI cold calling legal in Estonia?

Not to consumers without prior consent. [VÕS § 60](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/V%C3%95S) reads:

> "Pakkumise võib tarbijale teha inimsekkumist mittevajava automatiseeritud kõnevalimissüsteemi, faksi, telefoni automaatvastaja või elektronposti abil üksnes tarbija eelneval nõusolekul."

In English: you may make an offer to a consumer through an automated calling system that needs no human intervention, a fax, an answering machine, or email only with the consumer's prior consent. Other channels, such as a call by a human, are fine unless the consumer expressly refused them.

**Who it protects.** VÕS § 60 covers consumers only. The Electronic Communications Act (elektroonilise side seadus, ESS) adds a second layer. [ESS § 103¹(1)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/ESS) requires prior consent to use a natural person's electronic contact data for direct marketing, and sole traders are natural persons. For legal persons, § 103¹(2) only requires a clear, free way to refuse on every contact.

**The ESS exception for live calls.** § 103¹(6) says the section doesn't apply to "reaalajas toimuvale mitmepoolsele häälkõnele" (real-time multi-party voice calls). The Data Protection Inspectorate (Andmekaitse Inspektsioon, AKI) reads this as excluding phone calls ([guide](https://www.aki.ee/sites/default/files/dokumendid/elektrooniliste_kontaktandmete_kasutamine_otseturustuseks-uuendatud20.02.2015.pdf), [2025 letter](https://adr.rik.ee/aki/dokument/16782698)). [DLA Piper](https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/index.html?t=electronic-marketing\&c=EE) limits the exception to non-automated calls. Nobody has settled whether an AI agent's live conversation falls under it.

**AI agents most likely count as automated.** No Estonian court or authority has ruled on conversational AI agents. An AI agent that dials and runs the call alone needs no human intervention, so treat its consumer calls as automated. Get consent from sole traders too, in case ESS § 103¹(1) applies. A colleague who only listens in or could take over doesn't change this. Only a call that a human leads is clearly a human call.

## Cold calls by a human

**Consumers and businesses.** A human may call without consent, unless the consumer expressly refused your calls (VÕS § 60). ESS doesn't apply. AKI's [2025 letter](https://adr.rik.ee/aki/dokument/16782698) says such calls can rest on legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) if you document the balancing test. People can object and stop further calls (GDPR Art. 21). Persistent, unwanted offers by phone count as an aggressive practice under the [Consumer Protection Act (tarbijakaitseseadus, TKS) § 18(4)(3)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/TKS).

**Contracts by phone.** A phone deal only binds a consumer after you confirm it on a durable medium and the consumer confirms it in writing or another reproducible form ([VÕS § 54²](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/V%C3%95S)). Otherwise, anything you deliver counts as unsolicited. The rule doesn't apply when the consumer started the contract. The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet, TTJA) explains it in its [telephone sales guide](https://ttja.ee/sites/default/files/documents/2025-01/Telefonim%C3%BC%C3%BCk-%20onepager_viimane%20versioon.pdf).

## Existing customers and callback requests

**No soft opt-in for AI calls to consumers.** VÕS § 60 has no customer exception. ESS § 103¹(3) lets you market similar products to your own buyers without consent if you offered a free opt-out at collection and on every contact. That helps with email, SMS, and AI calls to sole traders, but not with AI calls to consumers.

**Callbacks.** A consumer who asks for a call gives the prior consent VÕS § 60 needs. Make sure the request covers a call from an AI agent, and stay on the topic. A practical route is your own ads leading to a form where people ask for a callback from your AI agent.

## Do-not-call register: None

Estonia has no national do-not-call register ([ERR, 2018](https://www.err.ee/825526/tele2-lopetab-soovimatute-muugikonede-tegemise)), and we found none set up since. Keep your own blocklist of everyone who refused calls. For AI calls to consumers, you need consent anyway.

## Consent for AI calls

VÕS § 60 prescribes no form. Where ESS § 103¹(1) applies, consent must meet GDPR standards. AKI's [direct marketing guide](https://www.aki.ee/sites/default/files/dokumendid/elektrooniliste_kontaktandmete_kasutamine_otseturustuseks-uuendatud20.02.2015.pdf) and its [2022 letter to lenders](https://www.aki.ee/sites/default/files/documents/2024-09/Laenupakkumiste%20koosk%C3%B5lla%20viimine%20elektroonilise%20side%20seaduse%20n%C3%B5uetega.pdf) spell out what that means:

| Requirement | What it means |
| - | - |
| Timing | Get consent before the first marketing contact. A marketing message or call that asks for consent doesn't count. |
| Form | An active, separate choice, as a rule in writing or another reproducible form. No pre-ticked boxes or consent hidden in contract terms. |
| Content | The contact details you use, the marketing purpose, and the right to withdraw. We recommend saying that an AI agent will call. |
| Partners | Name each company that will call, or link to a list. Consent given to one company doesn't cover its parent or subsidiaries. |
| Burden of proof | The company the marketing is for must prove consent, also when the contact came from someone else (ESS § 103¹(5)). |
| Withdrawal | People can withdraw at any time. Stop calling right away. |

We found no fixed retention period or expiry for consent in Estonian law. Keep the form version, timestamp, number, and exact text as long as you rely on the consent. Before you buy leads, ask the vendor for the consent text, the collection method, and the evidence per contact.

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.

Estonian law adds these duties:

* **Who and why.** When you call a consumer to conclude a contract, give your name, the company you call for, and the commercial purpose at the start ([VÕS § 54(6)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/V%C3%95S)).
* **Sender and opt-out.** Where ESS § 103¹ applies, say on whose behalf you call and how to refuse further contact (§ 103¹(4)). This covers AI calls to companies too.
* **Financial services.** Also tell the consumer if you record the call ([VÕS § 54¹(3)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/V%C3%95S), current wording since September 1, 2026).
* **Language.** Information for consumers must be in Estonian unless the consumer agreed to another language ([TKS § 4(3)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/TKS)). About 29% of residents speak Russian as their mother tongue ([Statistics Estonia](https://stat.ee/en/news/population-census-76-estonias-population-speak-foreign-language)), so offer Russian to people who choose it.

Recommended introduction for outbound marketing calls. Replace `[teema]` or `[тема]` with the topic the person agreed to:

```text Estonian theme={null}
Tere! Siin {agent_name} ettevõttest {project_name}. Olen tehisintellekti agent, mitte inimene. Helistan, sest andsite nõusoleku saada meilt pakkumisi teemal [teema]. Salvestame kõne teeninduse kvaliteedi tagamiseks meie õigustatud huvi alusel. Kui te ei soovi salvestamist, vajutage tärniklahvi. Kui te ei soovi meilt rohkem kõnesid, öelge seda ja me ei helista teile enam.
```

```text Russian theme={null}
Здравствуйте! Это {agent_name} из компании {project_name}. Я агент на базе искусственного интеллекта, а не человек. Я звоню, потому что вы дали согласие получать от нас предложения по теме [тема]. Мы записываем разговор для контроля качества на основании нашего законного интереса. Если вы не хотите, чтобы разговор записывался, нажмите клавишу «звёздочка». Если вы не хотите больше получать от нас звонки, скажите об этом, и мы больше не будем звонить.
```

For inbound calls:

```text Estonian theme={null}
Tere! Teiega räägib {agent_name} ettevõttest {project_name}. Olen tehisintellekti agent. Salvestame kõne teeninduse kvaliteedi tagamiseks meie õigustatud huvi alusel. Kui te ei soovi salvestamist, vajutage tärniklahvi. Kuidas saan aidata?
```

```text Russian theme={null}
Здравствуйте! Вы говорите с {agent_name} из компании {project_name}. Я агент на базе искусственного интеллекта. Мы записываем разговор для контроля качества на основании нашего законного интереса. Если вы не хотите, чтобы разговор записывался, нажмите клавишу «звёздочка». Чем я могу помочь?
```

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.** [Penal Code (karistusseadustik) § 156](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/KarS) punishes breaches of the confidentiality of messages. We found no rule or ruling that makes it a crime to record a call you take part in. AKI treats call recording as a data protection question.

**Data protection.** AKI's [August 2024 letter](https://adr.rik.ee/aki/dokument/15984739) to the Estonian Insurance Association sets out its expectations:

| Topic | AKI's position |
| - | - |
| Lawful basis | <Icon icon="scale" color="#2563eb" /> Consent, contract, or legitimate interest, depending on the purpose. Health data needs explicit consent or another GDPR Art. 9 basis. |
| Scope | <Icon icon="circle-x" color="#dc2626" /> Recording every call by default, without a specific purpose, breaches data minimization. |
| Quality and training | <Icon icon="scale" color="#2563eb" /> Legitimate interest can work, but AKI prefers recordings stripped of personal data. People must be able to object. |
| Notice | Say at the start why you record and on what legal basis. Put the details in your privacy notice. |
| Retention | Set a period per purpose and delete recordings once they served it. |
| Access | People can ask for a copy of their recording (GDPR Art. 15). |

The botBrains default fits the quality model: the star key stops the recording and discards it. The transcript stays, so cover it in your privacy notice and retention plan.

**Voice isn't automatically biometric data.** AKI notes that a voice identifies a person much like a fingerprint. Under GDPR, it 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 Estonian statute on calling hours or a special prefix for marketing calls. Under TKS § 18(3), timing is one factor in judging whether a sales practice amounts to harassment. The person you call sees your botBrains number, and botBrains provisions Estonian numbers on request. botBrains doesn't enforce calling hours, so schedule calls at reasonable times yourself.

Telia, Elisa, and Tele2 already block calls from abroad that show an Estonian number, and a July 2026 draft would oblige all operators to do so from March 2027 ([ERR](https://www.err.ee/1610067289/riik-tahab-eesti-numbrit-matkivate-petukonede-blokeerimise-kohustuslikuks-teha)).

## Sector rules

| Sector | Rule |
| - | - |
| Mobile telecoms | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Under the [ITL good practice](https://www.telia.ee/images/documents/juhendid/est/mobiilisektori_anonuumsete_telefonimuugi_konede_hea_tava.pdf) of 2018, signing operators call non-customers, by human or robot, only with consent in writing or another reproducible form. Consent lasts three months.<br /><Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Public business numbers are exempt. |
| Financial services | Name the company and the commercial purpose at the start, and say if you record ([VÕS § 54¹(3)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/V%C3%95S), current wording since September 1, 2026). |
| Games of chance | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Ads by phone are only allowed when the customer ordered them and can stop them at any time ([Advertising Act § 29²(5)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/RekS)). |
| Energy | We found no sector-specific rule. The written confirmation rule for phone contracts (VÕS § 54²) applies to electricity and gas sales too. |

## Fines and enforcement

AKI supervises ESS § 103¹ and GDPR. TTJA supervises consumer rights, including VÕS (TKS § 61).

| Breach | Regulator | Maximum |
| - | - | - |
| Direct marketing without consent or opt-out (ESS § 103¹) | AKI | Orders backed by repeatable penalty payments of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of worldwide turnover ([IKS § 60](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/IKS)). |
| GDPR breaches, such as no lawful basis or ignored objections | AKI | EUR 20 million or 4% of worldwide turnover (IKS §§ 65 and 66). |
| Aggressive practices, missing call-opening details (VÕS § 54), phone contracts without confirmation (VÕS § 54²) | TTJA | EUR 400,000 for companies. Since July 13, 2026, up to 4% of turnover or EUR 2 million for widespread or EU-wide breaches (TKS §§ 70 and 74²). |
| AI calls to consumers without consent (VÕS § 60) | TTJA | No fine in the act itself. TTJA can order you to stop. |

We found no Estonian case on AI agents or robocalls so far. We also found no pending bill that would change VÕS § 60 or ESS § 103¹.

## Sources

* Võlaõigusseadus (Law of Obligations Act), §§ 54, 54¹, 54² and 60: [riigiteataja.ee](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/V%C3%95S)
* Elektroonilise side seadus (Electronic Communications Act), §§ 103¹ and 133: [riigiteataja.ee](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/ESS)
* Tarbijakaitseseadus (Consumer Protection Act), §§ 4, 18, 61, 70 and 74²: [riigiteataja.ee](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/TKS)
* Isikuandmete kaitse seadus (Personal Data Protection Act), §§ 60, 65 and 66: [riigiteataja.ee](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/IKS)
* Karistusseadustik (Penal Code), § 156: [riigiteataja.ee](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/KarS)
* Reklaamiseadus (Advertising Act), § 29²: [riigiteataja.ee](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/RekS)
* GDPR, Art. 4(14), 6, 9, 15 and 21: [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj)
* EU AI Act, Art. 50: [artificialintelligenceact.eu](https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/article/50/)
* AKI, electronic contact data in direct marketing (2015): [aki.ee](https://www.aki.ee/sites/default/files/dokumendid/elektrooniliste_kontaktandmete_kasutamine_otseturustuseks-uuendatud20.02.2015.pdf)
* AKI, letter on loan offers and ESS (2022): [aki.ee](https://www.aki.ee/sites/default/files/documents/2024-09/Laenupakkumiste%20koosk%C3%B5lla%20viimine%20elektroonilise%20side%20seaduse%20n%C3%B5uetega.pdf)
* AKI, recording phone calls in insurance (August 2024): [adr.rik.ee](https://adr.rik.ee/aki/dokument/15984739)
* AKI, answer on telephone calls and legitimate interest (February 2025): [adr.rik.ee](https://adr.rik.ee/aki/dokument/16782698)
* TTJA, consumer guide to telephone sales (January 2025): [ttja.ee](https://ttja.ee/sites/default/files/documents/2025-01/Telefonim%C3%BC%C3%BCk-%20onepager_viimane%20versioon.pdf)
* ITL, good practice for sales calls in the mobile sector (2018): [telia.ee](https://www.telia.ee/images/documents/juhendid/est/mobiilisektori_anonuumsete_telefonimuugi_konede_hea_tava.pdf)
* DLA Piper, electronic marketing in Estonia: [dlapiperdataprotection.com](https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/index.html?t=electronic-marketing\&c=EE)
* Statistics Estonia, 2021 census on languages: [stat.ee](https://stat.ee/en/news/population-census-76-estonias-population-speak-foreign-language)
* ERR, no national register for sales calls (2018): [err.ee](https://www.err.ee/825526/tele2-lopetab-soovimatute-muugikonede-tegemise)
* ERR, draft on blocking spoofed calls (July 2026): [err.ee](https://www.err.ee/1610067289/riik-tahab-eesti-numbrit-matkivate-petukonede-blokeerimise-kohustuslikuks-teha)

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Phone integration" icon="phone" href="/concepts/phone">
    Set up your phone line, introductions, and outbound calls.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Calling laws by country" icon="globe" href="/concepts/phone/countries">
    Compare consent rules for AI calls across the EU, the UK, and the US.
  </Card>
</Columns>


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