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Summer is here, but the insights industry can’t afford a vacation from legislative and regulatory advocacy for our interests. In June, the Insights Association secured significant victories on AI policy, helping defeat legislation in California and Minnesota that would have imposed substantial new restrictions on the use of research data, synthetic data, and AI-enabled insights tools, while engaging with other AI and privacy issues in California, Massachusetts and Congress.

A pair of bills in Minnesota that would have restricted the use of AI-like automated decision systems regarding research subjects who receive incentives, and added a new layer of data privacy restrictions, have been defeated. H.F. 4445 and S.F. 4689 would have been enforced via private litigation, creating significant legal risks for organizations conducting market research, analytics and insights in Minnesota.

California A.B. 2027, legislation opposed by the Insights Association that would have prohibited the use of personal information provided by any research subjects (if they received an incentive for participation) for purposes of (1) training artificial intelligence (AI) systems or tools or (2) building synthetic data, personas or respondents, has died.

In May, the Insights Association advanced advocacy on federal privacy legislation, pushed back against restrictive state and federal AI proposals, defended the future of the census, and rallied support for landmark California taste testing research legislation, all while helping members navigate an increasingly complex compliance landscape.

A new study estimates that "U.S. states gave out $3.425 billion in privacy-related fines in 2025," highlighting the importance for insights companies and organizations to focus on compliance with the growing patchwork of state privacy laws.

​​​​​​​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.

The SECURE Data Act would establish a single national framework to replace the current patchwork of state privacy laws, strengthen consumer protections, and preserve the role of market research, insights, and analytics in informed decision-making.

The Insights Association joined other stakeholders in expressing “concerns and disappointment” about the final design of the 2026 Census Test.

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...

The Insights Association warned that proposed changes to the 2026 Census Test, a huge piece of preparations for the 2030 Census, will make it a huge waste of resources that undermines an accurate headcount of the U.S. population.