SEA and India Regulatory Preparedness 2026
Tags: Case Studies
Overview
The Regional Regulatory Forecast: How Prepared Is the Digital Marketing Industry? is a 2026 study by IAB SEA+India, supported by a research grant from Google. It assesses how companies across Southeast Asia and India understand, resource, and engage with fast-evolving regulations spanning privacy, advertising standards, e-commerce, cybersecurity, and AI governance.
Scope and Sample
- Sample size: 1,752 digital marketing professionals
- Seniority: 73% Director level or above
- Company footprint: 77% Global MNCs; 17% Regional; 6% Domestic
- Markets covered (primary operational focus): Singapore (28%), India (21%), Indonesia (13%), Philippines (12%), Vietnam (10%), Malaysia (8%), Thailand (8%)
- Company types: Platforms/Partners (31%), Agencies (26%), Brands (17%), Publishers (14%), Ecommerce/Superapps (12%)
- Roles: Marketing (28%), Legal/Policy/Privacy (19%), Product/Data/Commercial/Partnerships (24%), Finance/Operations (9%), Leadership/Management (20%)
Key Findings Snapshot
- Preparedness Paradox: 72% believe their company is prepared, yet <50% are aware of regulations already affecting their role, and only 8% participate during drafting.
- Domain awareness: Highest in Privacy & Data Protection (47%) and lowest in AI & Emerging Technology (19%).
- Engagement timing: 59% first engage after regulations take effect or when enforcement begins; 8% engage during drafting.
- Investment outlook: 66% plan to increase investment in preparedness over the next 12 months.
Methodology Notes
- Fieldwork conducted December 2025 via IAB SEA+India research panels (online survey).
- Branched questions tailored to respondents’ prior answers; open-text coded thematically.
- Limitations include a seniority and MNC skew.
- Use of AI tools: Not used to generate findings or code responses; used as a secondary check for omissions and for editing brevity with no respondent data used to train any model.
Structure
The report covers: Awareness (sources and depth), Understanding (ownership and capabilities), Opportunity (engagement during development and investment plans), and a Three-Step Action Plan to build in-region accountability, create role-specific guidance, and engage early with policy makers.
Sources:- 2026-IAB-SEAIndia-Research-The-Regional-Regulatory-Forecast.pdf
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