Announcement: Updated CI Fellows Code of Ethics for the Competitive Intelligence Profession
The Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows (CI Fellows) — an international community of leaders recognized for their contributions to the field of competitive intelligence — has formally approved an updated Code of Ethics for the competitive intelligence profession as of June 2026.
The revised Code was drafted by the Council’s Ethics Committee in April, circulated in May to more than 100 distinguished reviewers for comment, and unanimously approved by the Council Leadership in June.
Read the full Updated Code of Ethics
Purpose and Approach
The Ethics Committee affirms that the updated Code successfully fulfills its objective: establishing a concise, practical, and principle‑based ethical standard for the competitive intelligence profession.
To achieve this, the committee dedicated dozens of hours to reviewing ethics codes, professional standards, and industry frameworks before refining the language to ensure clarity, relevance, and long‑term applicability.
The committee concluded that expanding the document further would risk shifting it from a high‑level professional standard into a detailed compliance or enforcement manual — a direction that would undermine its intended purpose.
Key Considerations Behind Maintaining a Principle‑Based Code
Professional principles — The Code is designed to articulate broad ethical expectations, not to serve as a comprehensive legal or investigative guide. No single document can anticipate every scenario practitioners may face.
Durability and global applicability — Concise, principle‑driven codes are more adaptable across industries, organizational cultures, and international environments.
Supplemental guidance — More detailed examples, FAQs, and scenario‑based guidance may be developed separately to support practitioners without overloading the core Code.
Balanced language — The committee intentionally crafted language that is clear yet flexible, professional yet practical, and relevant without being overly prescriptive.
Modern ethical considerations — The updated Code already incorporates contemporary issues such as lawful information gathering, conflicts of interest, responsible AI use, data stewardship, and professional conduct.
Statement from President Amir Fleischman
“After nearly 30 years — an updated Code of Ethics for the competitive intelligence (CI) profession has been produced, presented, and formally approved by the Council Leadership. This is an important and essential milestone for the CI Fellows and the entire CI profession and industry. Given the importance and impact of this work, the Ethics Committee was the largest CI Fellows committee to date, and I participated as President to oversee the discussions and process.
I would like to congratulate the Ethics Committee and extend my sincere thanks for their dedication, professionalism, and steady commitment throughout the development process. The updated Code of Ethics comes into effect in an immediate manner, and I strongly advise anyone who is in the CI business to properly adapt and use it. We look forward to more achievements in 2026.”