March may have arrived like a lion for the public policy interests of the insights industry, but it sure isn’t departing like a lamb. The Insights Association faced challenges on multiple advocacy fronts this month, including: minors’ privacy legislation in Congress; the slow-burn impact of a recent under-the-radar European law; burgeoning concerns about contracts and terms regarding artificial intelligence and how they impact client data; changes to the 2026 Census Test threatening to make it useless for the 2030 Census; and a proposed ban on most noncompete agreements in Illinois.
Privacy and Data Security
The state of COPPA 2.0, the minors’ privacy legislation that matters most to the insights industry, is getting messy. It would expand the age-range and scope of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the law that restricts the collection of data on children under the age of 13, to also cover teenagers. While one COPPA 2.0 version just passed the U.S. Senate, a different version got pulled from committee markup in the House of Representatives. IA laid out some of our advocacy positions on COPPA 2.0 in a new 1-pager.
On a similar track in the House, the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) advanced out of committee, combining the Stop Profiling Youth and Kids Act (SPY Kids Act), Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), and multiple other bills.
We also recently looked at comments filed by our Privacy for America coalition on legislative pathways to update financial privacy rules in the Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GLBA). IA will dive into details of new draft legislation on that front soon.
Meanwhile, at the state level, IA took issue with the Illinois Data Privacy and Protection Act, comprehensive privacy legislation that would be enforced by private lawsuits, which was modeled on a failed 2022 federal privacy bill. This legislation wouldn’t just add to the conflicting mess of state privacy laws, it would also create a new privacy regime detrimental to the insights industry.
A big European law in force since 2025 (the EU Data Act) will make data portability, switching rights, and interoperability central issues in commercial agreements and contracts involving digital services and connected products – including for the market research, insights and analytics industry.
Artificial Intelligence
AI‑enabled tools—such as synthetic panels, personas, and other LLM‑driven solutions—are now a routine part of insights work. They offer speed, efficiency, and new ways to model consumer behavior. As their use grows, one question is increasingly important: What client data is being used to power and improve these systems? Insights professionals need greater awareness of contracts and terms of use in an evolving AI environment.
On another front, a new memo from the Connecticut Attorney General provides an overview (and warning) of state laws’ applicability in the context of AI.
Privacy for America also recently filed comments with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on agentic AI and its secure development and deployment, emphasizing that “AI should not be regulated as a single, one-size-fits all category” -- it needs a national standard.
Census
The Insights Association warned that proposed changes to the 2026 Census Test, a preparation for the 2030 Census, will be a waste of resources that undermines an accurate headcount of the U.S. population. IA suggested that the Census Bureau “could save time and energy by just lighting a huge pile of taxpayer money on fire.”
On the legislative side, the Make It Count Act would add a citizenship and immigration status question to the decennial census and make a variety of changes to apportionment and redistricting of Congressional districts.
Human Resources
Illinois legislation under consideration would prohibit noncompete agreements in employment contracts for employees making less than $300,000 a year.
Telephone
New proposed rules restricting offshore call centers are aimed only at telecommunications carriers’ customer representative operations, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering also applying them to every other kind of TCPA-relevant entity, as well as to texts and other electronic communications. IA is seeking member feedback on the proposal.
Empowering the Insights Industry to Roar
As you can see, the threats are serious and varied. The Insights Association can only be effective in our battles for the insights industry across the U.S. with the full membership and support of insights industry leaders like you.
Please reach out with any questions on these and other legislative/regulatory/legal issues. We are always here for you.
This information is not intended and should not be construed as or substituted for legal advice. It is provided for informational purposes only. It is advisable to consult with private counsel on the precise scope and interpretation of any laws/regulation/legislation and their impact on your particular business.
About the Author
Based in Washington, DC, Howard is the Insights Association's lobbyist for the marketing research and data analytics industry, focusing primarily on consumer privacy and data security, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), tort reform, and the funding and integrity of the decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS).
Howard has more than two decades of public policy experience. Before the Insights Association, he worked in Congress as senior legislative staffer for then-Representatives Christopher Cox (CA-48) and Cliff Stearns (FL-06). He also served more than four years with a science policy think tank, working to improve the understanding of scientific and social research and methodology among journalists and policymakers.
Howard is also co-director of The Census Project, a 900+ member coalition in support of a fair and accurate Census and ACS.
He has also served previously on the Board of Directors for the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics and and the Association of Government Relations Professionals.
Howard has an MA International Relations from the University of Essex in England and a BA Honors Political Studies from Trent University in Canada, and has obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) and the Public Policy Certificate (PPC).
When not running advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard enjoys hockey, NFL football, sci-fi and horror movies, playing with his dog, and spending time with family and friends.