Articles

Not every October surprise has to be frightening. This month, the Insights Association helped deliver several significant wins for the insights industry in California, while keeping watch over a new crop of privacy, AI, accessibility and Census challenges across the country. IA also rolled out an updated Code of Standards and Ethics and continued to promote and protect the integrity of the market research, insights and data analytics profession.

The Census Bureau’s proposed rule to rewrite how the next decennial census is run poses substantial challenges to the insights industry. The rule will restrict demographic questions, and change who counts and where they are counted.

As summer gives way to fall, U.S. policymakers are giving the insights industry plenty to keep an eye on. This month, the Insights Association backed a new California law clarifying the legality of alcohol taste-testing research, pushed back against proposed changes to the 2030 Census and delays in critical census data, supported legislation to curb abusive privacy lawsuits, and tracked a fresh wave of state privacy and artificial intelligence proposals affecting insights businesses across the c...

The U.S. Census Bureau just proposed to eliminate race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 Census, a move vigorously opposed by the Insights Association for its detrimental impact on the insights industry and the broader business world. The proposal also includes changes to rules for counting immigrants and others.

The Census Bureau announced an indefinite delay in the release of American Community Survey (ACS) data, which poses a severe threat to the ability of the market research, insights and analytics industry to deliver statistically representative and reliable insights.

The dog days of summer brought no slowdown in legislative and regulatory activity affecting the insights industry. In August, the Insights Association confronted fraudulent polling masquerading as research, opposed a reported proposal to eliminate race and ethnicity data from the 2030 Census, pushed for funding flexibility for the Census Bureau, and examined state and federal requirements involving consumer privacy, children’s and seniors’ data, and conversational artificial intelligence.

The Insights Association called upon the U.S. Commerce Department to reject a reported proposal to strip race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 Census. If enacted, it would mark the first time since 1790 that the decennial count has not captured this data, a change that would "hobble" the insights industry's work and bring "significant costs and huge risk" for the many other sectors that depend on the industry’s output for informed decision-making.

The Insights Association joined with 60 groups urging the Trump Administration to fulfill his “demonstrated commitment to a strong FY 2027 budget for the U.S. Census Bureau” by requesting an “anomaly” in any upcoming continuing resolution to fund the government. The Senate acted upon IA’s recommendation.

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.

April brought a complex and often challenging policy landscape for the insights industry, from a promising new U.S. privacy framework to pushing back against state-level AI and data restrictions that could hinder many research practices. A fitting time indeed for the Insights Association to launch a new tool to empower insights professionals to engage directly with policymakers, ensuring the insights industry’s voice is heard loud and clear!