> ## 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 Hungary

> Is AI cold calling legal in Hungary? Consent rules for automated B2B and B2C calls under Eht. 162. §, the directory opt-out, call recording, and AI disclosure.

export const reviewed_0 = "October 2026"

In Hungary, an AI agent may only make marketing calls to people and businesses who agreed to automated calls beforehand. Section 162(1) of the Electronic Communications Act ([Eht.](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2003-100-00-00)) requires prior consent for automated calling systems, for consumers and companies alike. The Advertising Act ([Grt.](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2008-48-00-00)) adds that any marketing call to a natural person needs prior, express consent, whoever makes it. Hungary has no national do-not-call list to fall back on.

<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. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording. |
| Outbound service call | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed if it relates to a contract or request | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed if it relates to a contract or request |
| Marketing callback the person asked for | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. The request counts as consent if it covers an AI agent calling. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. The request counts as consent if it covers an AI agent calling. |
| Marketing call by an AI agent | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required, also from existing customers. Hungary has no soft opt-in. | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required, also from existing customers. Hungary has no soft opt-in. |
| Marketing call by a human | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required, also from existing customers. A human caller may ask for it at the start of the call, without advertising. | <Icon icon="circle-dashed" color="#6b7280" /> Companies: unclear. The law points to an opt-out, so a human may call a company's general number, including a customer's, unless it objected or carries the "§" directory mark. No authority or court has confirmed this for calls.<br /><Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Named employees and sole traders: consent required. A human caller may ask for it at the start of the call, without advertising. |

## Is AI cold calling legal in Hungary?

Only with prior consent. Eht. 162. § (1) reads:

> "Az emberi beavatkozás nélküli, automatizált hívórendszer vagy előfizetői kapcsolat létrehozására szolgáló más automatizált eszköz az előfizető tekintetében a) csak akkor alkalmazható közvetlen üzletszerzés, tájékoztatás, piackutatás céljára, ha ehhez az előfizető előzetesen hozzájárult"

In English: an automated calling system without human intervention, or another automated device that connects to a subscriber, may only serve direct marketing, information, or market research if the subscriber consented beforehand.

**Who it protects.** A subscriber is any natural or legal person with a phone contract (Eht. 188. § point 24), so there's no B2B exception.

**Whether an AI agent counts.** No Hungarian regulator or court has ruled on conversational AI agents yet. An AI agent that holds the whole conversation works without human intervention, which is what the wording targets. Treat AI agent calls as automated.

**What a human in the loop changes.** A human who only listens or can take over doesn't change the answer while the AI agent talks. Only a call that a person conducts falls under the rules below.

## Cold calls by a human

**Consumers and sole traders.** Under Grt. 6. § (1), you may advertise by directly contacting a natural person only "ha ahhoz a reklám címzettje előzetesen egyértelműen és kifejezetten hozzájárult" (if the recipient consented beforehand, unambiguously and expressly). Sole traders are natural persons. The consumer protection authority's blog says people can give that consent at the start of the call ([2015](https://magyarnemzet.hu/a-fogyasztovedelmi-hatosag-blogja/2015/01/ki-jarhat-el-a-keretlen-telefonos-reklamokkal-kapcsolatban)), and Grt. 6. § (8) bans advertising in the request itself. So a person may ask for permission first and pitch after a clear yes. Don't use this route for AI calls, because Eht. 162. § (1) asks for consent before the automated call.

**Companies.** Grt. 6. § (1) only covers advertising to a "természetes személynek mint reklám címzettjének" (natural person as the recipient). For direct marketing outside Grt. 6. §, Eht. 162. § (2) forbids contacting a subscriber "aki úgy nyilatkozott, hogy nem kíván ilyen kapcsolatfelvételt fogadni" (who declared they don't want such contact). The Grt. itself wrote that wording into the [Eht.](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2003-100-00-00) in 2008, so the law pairs consent for natural persons with an opt-out for everyone else. The former national consumer protection authority (NFH) read it the same way for email. Without consent, you may only send ads to a legal person's own contact details, and an employee's work address isn't one ([NFH blog, 2015](https://fogyasztovedelmi.blog.hu/2015/07/30/spam_keretlen_reklamuzenetek_ki_jarhat_el_esetukben)).

Calls stay unclear, because a natural person always picks up, and Grt. 3. § j) counts anyone the ad targets or reaches as its recipient. PROVARIS reads the consent rule as covering individuals in B2B too ([PROVARIS Varga & Partners, Chambers 2025](https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/view/158325293/173/)). We found no ruling on calls to companies from the consumer protection authority, NAIH, the GVH, or the Kúria. In practice:

* To pitch the company itself, a human may call its general number unless it objected or carries the "§" directory mark. This is the most likely reading, but it's untested.
* To pitch a named employee, for example on a direct line or a mobile, treat them as a natural person and ask for consent first, as with sole traders. A human may ask at the start of the call, without advertising (Grt. 6. § (8)).

## Existing customers and callback requests

**Existing customers.** Hungary didn't implement the soft opt-in of [Article 13(2) of the ePrivacy Directive](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002L0058) ([Chambers 2025](https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/view/158325293/174/)). Neither Eht. 162. § nor Grt. 6. § has an existing-customer exception. An AI agent needs consent to make marketing calls to existing customers, both B2C and B2B. A human may most likely call a corporate customer's general number unless it objected, but no authority or court has confirmed this for calls. Pitching a named employee needs consent, the same as a cold call.

**Callback requests.** When someone leaves their number and asks for a call, the request is prior consent for that call. Say in the form that an AI agent calls back and about what, and keep the record. Running your own ads to such a form is the cleanest way to start AI calls in Hungary.

## Do-not-call register: Directory opt-out mark

Hungary has no national do-not-call register.

| | |
| - | - |
| Directory opt-out | Subscribers can ask their phone provider, free of charge, to mark in the directory that their data may not serve direct marketing, information, polls, or market research ([Eht. 160. § (4) b)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2003-100-00-00)). Directories show a "§" sign next to the entry ([NAIH-2973-1/2022](https://www.naih.hu/adatvedelmi-jelentesek?download=497%3Ajelentes-a-jobbik-magyarorszagert-mozgalom-a-koronavirus-jarvannyal-kapcsolatos-telefonos-kampanya-vizsgalatanak-megallapitasai)). |
| Who runs it | Each phone provider, in its own directory |
| What it covers | Any subscriber, including companies. You can't screen numbers that aren't in a directory. |
| How often to screen | No legal interval. Check before each campaign. |
| Robinson list | [Act CXIX of 1995](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/1995-119-00-00) let people block the release of their name and address for direct marketing. Since April 26, 2019, it only covers research, and it never covered phone numbers. |

For AI calls and calls to consumers you need consent anyway, so the "§" mark mainly matters for calls by a human to companies. Your own objection list matters most: Grt. 6. § (3) requires you to stop at once when someone withdraws consent.

## Consent for AI calls

| Requirement | What it means for you |
| - | - |
| Prior, express, informed | Collect it before the first call. It must name the person and the personal data covered ([Grt. 6. § (1) and (2)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2008-48-00-00)). |
| Covers automated calls | Eht. 162. § (1) needs consent to the automated system, so mention calls by an AI agent. |
| Per channel and purpose | The data protection authority (NAIH) wants separate choices for phone, post, and email, and a specific purpose, for example energy contract offers ([NAIH-2501-10/2022](https://www.naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=584%3Aerintetti-hozzajarulas-celonkenti-szuksegessege-es-mas-jognyilatkozattol-elvalasztasa)). |
| Consent register | Keep a register of everyone who consented (Grt. 6. § (5)). Authorities can ask to see it (Grt. 26. § (3)). |
| Proof | You must be able to show consent ([GDPR Art. 7(1)](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-7-gdpr/)). Store the text, date, number, and form version. |
| Withdrawal | Free and possible at any time. Accept it by post and email (Grt. 6. § (3) and (6)), and tell people where to withdraw (Grt. 6. § (7)). |

**Purchased lists and partners.** Under Grt. 6. § (5), a list owner may only pass consent data to a third party with the person's prior consent. Ask the vendor for the exact consent text, the collection method, and evidence that it names you and covers automated calls. botBrains asks for this evidence before outbound 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.

Hungary adds no AI-specific disclosure rule. [Act LXXV of 2025](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2025-75-00-00) and [Decree 344/2025](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2025-344-20-22) only set up the AI Act authorities. Other rules require you to identify yourself:

* [45/2014. Korm. rendelet 17. §](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2014-45-20-22) requires your company name, the company you call for, and the sales purpose at the start of a call to a consumer.
* Eht. 162. § (3) bans direct marketing whose sender you can't identify, even with consent.
* Grt. 6. § (7) requires you to tell the person where they can withdraw consent.

Recommended introduction for outbound marketing calls:

```text theme={null}
Jó napot kívánok! {agent_name} vagyok, és {project_name} nevében hívom. Mesterséges intelligencia vagyok. Azért keresem, mert hozzájárult, hogy telefonon bemutassuk az ajánlatunkat. A beszélgetést rögzítjük. Ha ez ellen tiltakozik, nyomja meg bármikor a csillag gombot. Ha nem szeretne több hívást kapni tőlünk, mondja meg, és többet nem hívjuk.
```

For inbound calls:

```text theme={null}
Jó napot kívánok! {agent_name} vagyok, {project_name} virtuális ügyintézője. Mesterséges intelligencia vagyok. A beszélgetést rögzítjük. Ha ez ellen tiltakozik, nyomja meg bármikor a csillag gombot. Miben segíthetek?
```

Most company names take "a" or "az" in Hungarian, so add it where your name needs it. Edit the text in your [introductions](/concepts/phone#introductions). Use [guidance](/concepts/guidance) to tell the AI agent how to handle a request like "ne hívjanak többet" (don't call again), and a [Unitool](/concepts/unitools) to write the objection to your CRM.

## Call recording

| Layer | Rule |
| - | - |
| Criminal law | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed if announced. [Btk. 422. § (1) d)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2012-100-00-00) punishes secretly intercepting and recording communications. Announce the recording so it's never secret. |
| Civil law | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required. [Ptk. 2:48. § (1)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2013-5-00-00) requires the person's consent to make and use a voice recording. |
| Data protection | <Icon icon="scale" color="#2563eb" /> Depends on your lawful basis. You need one ([GDPR Art. 6](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-6-gdpr/)) and must tell callers at the start ([Art. 13](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-13-gdpr/)). When a law requires recording, NAIH accepts legal obligation as the basis, and the caller's only choice is to hang up after the notice ([NAIH-9562-1/2024](https://naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=1131%3Ahangrogzites-telefonos-ugyfelszolgalaton)). |
| Biometric data | A voice recording only becomes biometric data when you process it to identify someone ([Art. 4(14)](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-4-gdpr/), [Art. 9](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-9-gdpr/)). NAIH found that even AI analysis of call audio wasn't biometric data, because it identified no one ([NAIH-85-3/2022](https://naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=517%3Amesterseges-intelligencia-alkalmazasanak-adatvedelmi-kerdesei)). Recording for quality isn't biometric either. |

Because the Civil Code asks for consent, keep the star-key objection in your introduction. Pressing the star key stops the recording and discards it, while the transcript stays. botBrains stores recordings, transcripts, and call data in the EU.

## Caller ID and calling hours

Eht. 162. § (3) means people must be able to see who calls. The caller sees your botBrains phone number, and botBrains provisions Hungarian numbers on request. We found no Hungarian rule on calling hours or a special prefix for marketing calls. Point 26 of the annex to the Unfair Commercial Practices Act ([Fttv.](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2008-47-00-00)) bans repeated, unwanted pressing of consumers by phone, so limit retries. botBrains doesn't enforce calling hours or screen lists, so plan your calls yourself. On voicemail, the AI agent hangs up without leaving a message.

## Sector rules

| Sector | Rule |
| - | - |
| Utilities, such as energy and water | Under [Fgytv. 17/B. § (3)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/1997-155-00-00), public service providers must record every customer service call, keep it for five years, and answer within five minutes. Live-voice complaint handling ("élőhangos ügyintézés") must come first in the phone menu. No authority has said whether an AI voice counts, so let the AI agent forward complaints to a human right away. |
| Financial services | The central bank (MNB) enforces the advertising rules for businesses it supervises (Grt. 24. § (1)). |
| Contracts by phone | Name your company and the sales purpose at the start, and confirm the contract on a durable medium. The consumer keeps the right of withdrawal ([45/2014. Korm. rendelet 17-18. § and 20. §](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2014-45-20-22)). |

## Fines and enforcement

| Authority | Role and fines |
| - | - |
| [NAIH](https://naih.hu/) | GDPR fines up to EUR 20 million or 4% of worldwide turnover ([Art. 83](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-83-gdpr/)) |
| Consumer protection authority (government offices under the [NKFH](https://nkfh.gov.hu/)) | Enforces Grt. 6. § for phone calls (Grt. 24. §). Fines for large companies reach 5% of annual net revenue, capped at HUF 650 million, or HUF 3 billion when many consumers suffer serious harm ([Fgytv. 47/C. §](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/1997-155-00-00)). |
| Media and telecom authority (NMHH) | Enforces Grt. 6. § for text messages and email, but not voice calls (Grt. 24. § (4)) |
| Competition authority (GVH) | Unfair commercial practices that can substantially affect competition (Fttv. 10. § (3)) |

Notable cases:

* NAIH fined Budapest Bank HUF 250 million on February 8, 2022 for AI emotion analysis of recorded customer calls without a valid legal basis or proper notice (NAIH-85-3/2022).
* NAIH fined Magyar Éremkibocsátó HUF 30 million on September 12, 2022 because its phone and post marketing consent didn't let people choose channels or purposes ([NAIH-2501-10/2022](https://www.naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=584%3Aerintetti-hozzajarulas-celonkenti-szuksegessege-es-mas-jognyilatkozattol-elvalasztasa)).
* In 2022, NAIH published a formal notice on a political party's 1.49 million automated calls, many to numbers with the "§" mark (NAIH-2973-1/2022).

We found no pending change to these calling rules for 2026 or 2027.

## Sources

* [2003. évi C. törvény az elektronikus hírközlésről (Eht.)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2003-100-00-00), 160. § (4), 162. §, 188. § point 24
* [2008. évi XLVIII. törvény a gazdasági reklámtevékenységről (Grt.)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2008-48-00-00), 6. §, 24. §, 26. §
* [2008. évi XLVII. törvény a tisztességtelen kereskedelmi gyakorlat tilalmáról (Fttv.)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2008-47-00-00), 10. §, annex point 26
* [1997. évi CLV. törvény a fogyasztóvédelemről (Fgytv.)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/1997-155-00-00), 17/B. §, 47/C. §
* [45/2014. (II. 26.) Korm. rendelet](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2014-45-20-22), 17. §, 18. §, 20. §
* [1995. évi CXIX. törvény](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/1995-119-00-00), 1. §
* [2012. évi C. törvény a Büntető Törvénykönyvről (Btk.)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2012-100-00-00), 422. §
* [2013. évi V. törvény a Polgári Törvénykönyvről (Ptk.)](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2013-5-00-00), 2:48. §
* [2025. évi LXXV. törvény](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2025-75-00-00) and [344/2025. (X. 31.) Korm. rendelet](https://njt.jog.gov.hu/jogszabaly/2025-344-20-22) on the EU AI Act
* [Directive 2002/58/EC (ePrivacy)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002L0058), Art. 13
* [GDPR](https://gdpr-info.eu/), Art. 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 83
* NAIH: [NAIH-85-3/2022](https://naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=517%3Amesterseges-intelligencia-alkalmazasanak-adatvedelmi-kerdesei), [NAIH-2501-10/2022](https://www.naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=584%3Aerintetti-hozzajarulas-celonkenti-szuksegessege-es-mas-jognyilatkozattol-elvalasztasa), [NAIH-2973-1/2022](https://www.naih.hu/adatvedelmi-jelentesek?download=497%3Ajelentes-a-jobbik-magyarorszagert-mozgalom-a-koronavirus-jarvannyal-kapcsolatos-telefonos-kampanya-vizsgalatanak-megallapitasai), [NAIH-9562-1/2024](https://naih.hu/hatarozatok-vegzesek?download=1131%3Ahangrogzites-telefonos-ugyfelszolgalaton)
* [Consumer protection authority blog, January 26, 2015](https://magyarnemzet.hu/a-fogyasztovedelmi-hatosag-blogja/2015/01/ki-jarhat-el-a-keretlen-telefonos-reklamokkal-kapcsolatban)
* [Consumer protection authority blog, July 30, 2015, on unsolicited email to companies](https://fogyasztovedelmi.blog.hu/2015/07/30/spam_keretlen_reklamuzenetek_ki_jarhat_el_esetukben)
* PROVARIS Varga & Partners, Chambers Data Protection and Privacy 2025, Hungary ([p. 173](https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/view/158325293/173/), [p. 174](https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/view/158325293/174/))

## 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>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.