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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!

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.

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...

The Insights Association recently discussed the proposed changes to the 2026 Census Test and its negative impact on preparations for the 2030 Census.