To bring together perspectives from different sectors of society to discuss current issues concerning social media, Miltton organized a Futures event with Meta. On the agenda were questions of expanding social media platforms and their unpredictable impacts. Additionally, Meta’s Government Manager André Assarsson introduced the company’s latest application, IG Threads.
Can social media and society coexist peacefully?
As social media platforms grow in prominence, concerns about the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, the realization of privacy protection, and political polarization are on the rise.


Five arguments stood out in the discussions at the event
- Social media supports the realization of democracy by giving a voice to those who were previously unheard.
- Ungovernable sharing has also led to the spread of misinformation and disinformation, causing societal unrest.
- No one knows exactly what the rules of fair play, societal impacts, or future outlook for social media will be like.
- The user terms, algorithms, and data collection methods of platforms are a mystery to many, and people should seek a deeper understanding of them.
- To maintain citizens’ resilience and mutual trust, joint actions are needed both locally and globally.
During his talk, Miltton’s Kaius Niemi examined the social media ecosystem, emphasizing the relationship between technological change and political polarization. Globally, people spend an average of 145 minutes per day on social media platforms, equivalent to years of their lifetime, Niemi said in his opening words.
It’s self-evident that social media platforms have become a central communication channel on the individual, corporate, and societal levels, with significant and sometimes unpredictable social and psychological impacts.
Meta’s Government Manager André Assarsson introduced IG Threads, launched by Meta in July 2023. As the latest new social media platform, Threads is currently the world’s fastest-growing application and is considered a worthy challenger to X (formerly Twitter). Threads allows for the publication of written messages of up to 500 characters, as well as photos, videos, and links.
After the opening words, Niemi, Assarsson, National Coalition Party MP Aura Salla, OP Group’s social media manager Nina Hirvensalo, and Yle’s change expert and former social media manager Tuija Aalto took part in a panel discussion.
The panel focused mainly on three themes:
Theme 1: Social media supports democracy by giving a voice to many
Social media platforms have enabled millions of people to get their voices heard in historic ways. Several panelists emphasized that at their best, these platforms support the central task of democracy by enabling participation in discussion and decision-making.
“Through social media platforms, anyone can speak to anyone,” summarized Meta’s Assarsson, noting that institutions no longer have a monopoly on information.
Traditional media has gained both a partner and a competitor in terms of disseminating information. Media houses and journalists share their news on social media platforms, potentially reaching wider audiences.
Many social media users also share news links on their profiles. At the same time, some users publish unchecked information or their own views in the same way as they would share news or facts. This poses challenges, the panelists emphasized.
Theme 2: Hard-to-control sharing also leads to the spread of false information and societal unrest
At present, anyone can say anything they want and share it publicly in an instant. The panelists noted that the use of platforms enhances opportunities for participation, but on the other hand also brings about the polarization of opinions, formation of echo chambers, and political confrontations.
The panelists called for ways to maintain and strengthen mutual trust in the age of rapid and reaction-seeking information dissemination.
One of the main causes of polarization and confrontation was agreed to be misinformation and disinformation. The panelists reminded the audience that these are two different phenomena, since disinformation involves deliberately spreading misleading or false information, while misinformation also includes unintentionally spreading false or misleading information.
Concerns about disinformation extended to the state level, with Yle, among others, reporting news about interference between countries. Misinformation was considered more along the lines of the influencing of individuals and people’s exposure to influences.

Theme 3: The rules, impacts, and future of social media are still taking shape
None of the panelists were able to present definitive predictions about the future of social media and its impacts. According to Meta’s Assarsson, if the panelists were to gather again in a year, Threads could by then have grown to become the world’s largest application or already been abandoned completely.
The question of safe, fair, and transparent platform policies sparked lively discussion. The panelists pondered the functioning of algorithms, tech companies’ responsibilities and motives, and the implementation of data collection and privacy protection.
Miltton’s Niemi noted that when X changed its algorithms, the posting rate in Russia doubled, fueling various forms of false information. Nevertheless, X’s broad tolerance for freedom of speech received support. OP Group’s Hirvensalo also stated that if their content is not meaningful to Threads, Threads won’t be meaningful to them. As long as this is the case, OP has no reason to leave X, she asserted.
The panel’s most intense remarks came from the National Coalition Party’s Salla, who argued that Meta’s decision not to offer political content to users three months before the EU elections is incomprehensible. Salla said this puts politicians at an unequal position in terms of advertising, leaving the platform’s societal role as a discussion forum unfulfilled.
Meta’s Assarsson responded by stating that Threads’ algorithms are tailored to users’ preferences, and that following politicians or political sites still gives users plenty of opportunities to share and receive political content. To a question from the audience about shadow banning, Assarsson said that Meta does not quietly silence anyone, but removes content deemed harmful from its platforms.

In conclusion, how should social media platforms be developed?
Before closing the discussion, moderator Katri Makkonen from MiItton asked the panelists what they would like to see done differently regarding social media platforms.
- Yle’s Tuija Aalto advised consideration for all platform users and promoting equal communication between them.
- The National Coalition Party’s Aura Salla called for better customer service.
- OP Group’s Nina Hirvensalo mentioned a love of algorithms, noting however that they could be made smarter than they are now.
- André Assarsson emphasized that more people should understand what algorithms are and how they work, adding that people should make a habit of listening to different perspectives.
- Miltton’s Kaius Niemi emphasized the differences between various platforms. He urged that society ensure that platforms don’t control us, but that we should instead guide and, if necessary, regulate them.
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Want to hear more? Contact us
Kaius Niemi
Deputy CEO Miltton Group +358 447 655 706 kaius.niemi@miltton.com
Tuuli Ekman
Business lead, Director, PR & social media Miltton Finland +358 453 455 022 tuuli.ekman@miltton.com