How to do market research in 2026: strategies & best practices

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-07T13:15:26.439Z • Permanent link

Tensions between regulators and tech giants came to a head last month when the European Union's antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, announced a comprehensive overhaul of the region's data protection regulations. The proposed changes, set to take effect in 2027, would impose stricter penalties on companies that fail to comply with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The move was seen as a major victory for Vestager, who has been a vocal critic of big tech's data practices.

Under the proposed reforms, companies that breach GDPR rules could face fines of up to 20% of their global turnover, a significant increase from the current maximum penalty of 4%. The changes are also expected to expand the scope of the regulation to cover more areas of business, including online advertising and e-commerce. The move is likely to have far-reaching implications for companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, which have been accused of exploiting user data for profit.

The backlash against Vestager's proposals was swift, with many tech industry leaders warning that the changes would stifle innovation and hurt small businesses. However, Vestager remains undeterred, arguing that the reforms are necessary to protect users' rights and prevent the misuse of personal data.

Companies in the Social & Behavioral domain are already feeling the impact of the proposed reforms. Research firms like Nielsen and comScore, which rely heavily on data from online advertising and e-commerce platforms, are likely to see their business models disrupted. The changes could also have significant implications for social media platforms, which have been accused of exploiting user data to sell targeted advertising.

As the debate over data protection regulations continues, researchers are facing a pressing question: how can they collect and analyze data in a way that respects users' rights while still providing valuable insights? The answer is not straightforward, and experts warn that the stakes are high. Failure to adapt to changing regulations could lead to significant losses of revenue and reputation for companies in the Social & Behavioral domain.

The proposed reforms are part of a broader trend towards greater regulation of the tech industry. In recent years, governments around the world have been cracking down on big tech companies, imposing stricter rules on areas like data protection, antitrust, and online censorship. The EU's GDPR, for example, was introduced in 2018 in response to concerns over the misuse of personal data by companies like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.