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Stay at the forefront of the consumer insights and analytics industry with our Thought Leadership content. Here you’ll find timely updates on the Insights Association’s advocacy efforts, including the latest legislative and regulatory developments that impact how we work. In addition, this section offers expert perspectives on innovative research techniques and methodologies, as well as valuable analysis of evolving consumer trends. Together, these insights provide a trusted resource for professionals looking to navigate change, elevate their practice, and shape the future of our industry.

Archive by author: Howard FienbergReturn
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.
Proposed Independent Contractor Status Rules from U.S. Department of Labor Raise IA Concerns About Classification of Research Subjects

Proposed Independent Contractor Status Rules from U.S. Department of Labor Raise IA Concerns About Classification of Research Subjects

​​​​​​​The Trump Administration has revived its proposed regulatory approach to independent contractor status from the President’s first term. The Insights Association expressed concern that the rules may not help the insights industry unless they affirm that research subjects who receive incentives are independent contractors, not employees.
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Fighting for You: March 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Fighting for You: March 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Update

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...
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Fighting for You: February 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Fighting for You: February 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Update

From Capitol Hill to state legislatures across the country, policymakers are advancing sweeping proposals that could reshape the legal and regulatory landscape for the insights industry. In February, debates over kids’ and teens’ privacy, federal data security enforcement, and the future of comprehensive privacy legislation took center stage in DC, while new developments surrounding the 2030 Census, artificial intelligence, and telephone research signal significant compliance and operational i...
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Fighting for You: January 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Fighting for You: January 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Update

As 2026 got underway, high-stakes battles extended beyond the football field as the Insights Association's advocacy blitz deployed on a fast-moving play-action package of federal and state privacy legislation (some helpful, some terribly harmful), emerging AI regulation, census funding and policy battles, and more. We’re highlighting where IA is shaping legislation and regulation to champion the insights industry at a critical moment on the policy calendar.
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Congress Nears Final FY26 Funding Resolution for Census

Congress Nears Final FY26 Funding Resolution for Census

The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to pass a compromise Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding package by January 8, 2026, including money for the Census Bureau, that would stave off another government shutdown. The “minibus” bill excludes a provision opposed by IA that would have been detrimental to the decennial census and American Community Survey (ACS).
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