Our Commitment to Ethical Conduct, Compliance, and Responsible Data Use
At Kantar, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency across our operations and relationships. This includes preventing bribery, fraud, and corruption of any kind, protecting data, and ensuring the responsible use of AI. These principles are embedded in the way we work and are reflected in the Kantar Business Principles, which serve as the foundation for our commitments and expectations across the organisation. These same standards extend to our external partnerships through the Kantar Supplier Code of Conduct and other contractual terms, which set out the behaviours and ethical standards we expect from all suppliers and partners acting on our behalf.
To support this commitment, we have established a comprehensive suite of policies that promote compliance with legal and ethical standards and foster a culture of honesty and accountability. The Kantar Policy Framework sets the tone from the top, with compliance and ethical behaviour championed by leadership. Each policy in the Kantar Policy Book is sponsored by a member of our Executive Leadership Team and maintained by designated Owners who ensure content remains relevant, current, and effective.
Raising Concerns and Reporting Issues at Kantar
We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and accountable environment where colleagues and partners feel empowered to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Whether the issue relates to potential breaches of our policies, ethical standards, or legal obligations, we encourage open and honest communication.
Concerns can be raised through normal reporting channels—such as line managers, HR, or other appropriate internal teams—as well as via our Right to Speak process. This dedicated mechanism, hosted by an independent third party, offers a confidential and, if preferred, anonymous way to report serious concerns that individuals may not feel comfortable raising directly. It is available to anyone who works with or for Kantar.
Every report is taken seriously, reviewed diligently, and investigated where appropriate. By fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, we protect our people, uphold our values, and strengthen trust across our business and stakeholder relationships.
At Kantar we uphold a strict zero-tolerance stance on corruption, reinforced by comprehensive policies that guide ethical conduct across our business. These policies apply to employees, contingent workers, and partners, ensuring transparency, integrity, and compliance in every interaction. These measures protect our reputation, promote fair competition, and maintain trust with clients, suppliers, and stakeholders.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy: Prohibits facilitation payments and sets clear expectations for gifts, hospitality, conflicts of interest, and advisor payments. Includes supplier screening and due diligence.
Fraud Reporting Policy: Defines types of fraud and empowers employees to report concerns, supporting a safe and secure working environment.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Policy: Guides employees in identifying and reporting suspicious activity, ensuring Kantar does not handle funds from criminal sources.
Preventing the Facilitation of Tax Evasion Policy: Helps identify and report potential tax evasion risks, with emphasis on due diligence and transaction transparency.
Sanctions Policy: Ensures compliance with international sanctions laws and prohibits business with sanctioned individuals, entities, or jurisdictions.
Adviser Payment Policy: Sets standards for engaging and compensating advisers, prohibiting cash or advance payments and requiring accurate documentation.
Competing Fairly Policy: Promotes fair competition and prohibits anti-competitive behaviour, with guidance on joint bidding and market conduct.
Kantar is dedicated to the responsible and compliant use of data and technology across all aspects of our business. We uphold individual rights, client trust, and legal obligations through robust policies and operational safeguards. These include industry-standard technical controls such as encryption, access management, incident response, and supplier oversight.
Our approach ensures systems, data, and processes are protected against unauthorised access, misuse, and vulnerabilities. These principles also guide our use of AI and digital systems, promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability. This section outlines how we implement these measures to protect privacy, maintain compliance, and uphold trust across our global operations.
Data Protection Policy: Part of our Data Protection Framework, this policy outlines how we manage personal data, respond to incidents, and uphold individual rights.
Data Ethics and Integrity Policy: Ensures responsible data collection and use, supports quality assurance, and promotes purpose-driven insights.
Cyber Security for Users Policy: Provides guidelines for protecting Kantar systems and data, covering asset management, training, and compliance.
Responsible Use of AI Policy: Promotes ethical and legal AI use, with principles of transparency, fairness, accountability, and resilience.
Information Security Standards and Certifications
Kantar adheres to internationally recognised information security standards, including ISO/IEC 27001. These certifications validate our commitment to maintaining a secure environment for data and systems. Our compliance with these frameworks ensures that we apply rigorous controls, conduct regular assessments, and continuously improve our security posture.
Incident Management and Response Protocols
We have established clear protocols for identifying, managing, and responding to security incidents. This includes real-time monitoring, escalation procedures, and post-incident reviews to ensure lessons are learned and improvements are made. Our incident response teams are trained to act swiftly and effectively to minimise impact and restore operations.
Third-Party Risk and Supplier Controls
Kantar applies thorough due diligence when engaging third-party vendors and suppliers. We assess their compliance with relevant standards and monitor their performance on an ongoing basis. Contracts include clear expectations for data protection and security, and we conduct periodic reviews to mitigate risks.
Access and Identity Management
Access to Kantar systems and data is governed by role-based controls and authentication protocols. We implement multi-factor authentication where appropriate and conduct regular reviews to ensure access rights remain appropriate. These measures help prevent unauthorised access and support accountability.
Monitoring and Audit Practices
We continuously monitor our systems to detect anomalies and ensure compliance with internal and external requirements. Regular audits are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of our controls and identify areas for improvement. Findings are reviewed by relevant stakeholders and inform updates to our policies and procedures.
Data Positive
At Kantar, we believe that long-term success is built on a foundation of responsible and sustainable practices. Our ESG strategy, Data Positive, reflects our deep commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and strong governance. We recognise that our actions today shape the future for our clients, communities and the planet and we are proud to embed ESG principles into every aspect of our operations and decision-making.
Driving Impact Through Transparency and Accountability
We are dedicated to creating measurable impact through clear goals, robust policies and transparent reporting. Our ESG framework is aligned with global standards and best practices, ensuring that we remain accountable to our stakeholders and responsive to emerging challenges. Whether it's reducing our carbon footprint, fostering an inclusive workplace, or upholding ethical governance, we continuously strive to lead by example and drive meaningful change.
The ESG Carbon Methodology Report outlines the approach used to calculate and report carbon emissions data, ensuring consistency and transparency across Scope 1, 2, and 3 categories. Limited assurance is important because it provides independent verification of the carbon data, increasing stakeholder confidence while acknowledging that the review is not as extensive as a full audit.
The 2024 Annual Report includes an ESG update highlighting progress in key areas including our SBTi approved targets and Ecovadis Gold accreditation.
Previous ESG Reports outlining Kantar's ESG strategy and commitments
ESG Report 2023
ESG Report 2022
In addition to our internal reporting mechanisms, Kantar complies with all relevant statutory and regulatory obligations. This includes the timely and accurate reporting of matters to external authorities where required by law. We have clear procedures in place to ensure that serious concerns—such as those involving criminal activity, regulatory breaches, or significant risk—are escalated appropriately and reported to the relevant bodies.
Our commitment to regulatory compliance is embedded in our policies and supported by training, oversight, and governance structures that ensure we meet our legal responsibilities across all jurisdictions in which we operate.
