World Standards Day 2025: Building Trust in a Changing Insights Industry

Every 14 October, the global community celebrates World Standards Day, honouring the frameworks that make collaboration possible. This year’s theme, “Shared vision for a better world,” reminds us that progress depends on cooperation. For the insights industry, standards are not just technical documents; they are the foundation of trust, quality, and ethical practice.

Industry Transformation: AI and Emerging Technologies
The past decade has reshaped research. AI-driven tools now power sampling, coding, and analytics, while synthetic data offers speed and scale but raises questions about bias and transparency. At the same time, sample supply chains have diversified: panel aggregators, managed networks, and marketplaces are now common. These changes bring opportunities, but also risks and, without clear standards, innovation can outpace accountability. That’s why Esomar invests in guidance for AI and synthetic data, helping buyers understand validation, limitations, and ethical use. Responsible adoption ensures regulators, clients, and the public maintain confidence in our work.

As such, frameworks for AI and synthetic data equip buyers to evaluate solutions responsibly. These resources turn principles into actionable steps, ensuring research remains transparent, inclusive, and trustworthy. Check Esomar’s recently published 5 Topics of Discussion to Help Buyers of Augmented Synthetic Data as well as Esomar’s 20 Questions to Help Buyers of AI-based Services.

Global Standards and Esomar’s Role in ISO 20252
Esomar proudly sponsors the update of ISO 20252, the international benchmark for market, opinion, and social research. Last revised in 2019, the next edition, expected in May 2026, reflects sweeping industry changes. The update addresses AI integration, clarifies roles across sample providers, and strengthens data quality requirements. Workstreams launched in 2024 focus on new technologies, Annex A (sampling), and alignment with other standards like ISO/IEC 27001. After multiple rounds of comments and meetings, the group is consolidating changes into a clearer, future-ready standard. The goal: maintain global comparability while enabling innovation.

Self-Regulation Through the ICC/Esomar International Code
Standards thrive when embedded in daily practice. The ICC/Esomar International Code of Conduct remains our cornerstone for ethical research: principle-based, technology-neutral, and enforced through an independent disciplinary process. Co-authored with ICC, the Code applies to Esomar’s membership base as well as ICC’s 40+ million member companies when conducting research. Refreshed for 2025 and proofed for the foreseeable future, it ensures responsible data handling, ethical AI use, and integrity in reporting. In a digital-first world, these principles matter more than ever.

From Principles to Practice: Esomar Guidelines That Raise the Floor
Beyond global standards and codes, Esomar publishes practical guidelines to help organisations meet sufficient quality and ethical benchmarks. These include, among others:

• Primary data collection best practices for recruitment and consent.

• Secondary data processing guidance on permissions and provenance.

• A data protection checklist for operational compliance.

• International demographic harmonisation standards for gender, age, and working status.

• A set of questions that provide a consistent framework to follow when evaluating and buying the services of online sample providers.

Conclusion
World Standards Day reminds us that collaboration and shared rules are the bedrock of progress. Esomar will continue to contribute to champion ISO 20252, help the industry uphold the ICC/Esomar Code, and publish practical, tech-ready guidance. Together, we can build a research ecosystem that embraces innovation without compromising trust.