Articles

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.

July may be peak vacation season, but policymakers gave the insights industry little opportunity to relax. The Insights Association tracked and engaged on consequential developments involving privacy and data security, artificial intelligence and HR law, from the defeat of problematic California data-localization legislation to a damaging new data law in New Jersey, federal restrictions affecting children’s data, emerging chatbot requirements and new rules governing non-compete agreements.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the independence of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has driven concerns that one of the primary mechanisms for trans-Atlantic data sharing, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPG), is in jeopardy.

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.

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.

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 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.

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...