The dangers of unregulated social media

Social media was supposed to be a democratic dream — a space where all voices could be heard, ideas could flow freely, and connections could be made across borders. As a strong believer in free speech, I have always supported the idea that society should set wide limits on what is acceptable in public discourse. Freedom of expression is a bedrock of any open society, and Scandinavia has long been a beacon of this principle.

But something has since shifted. It's not the loud and visible expressions of free speech that worry me — those can be confronted and debated. It’s the silent, invisible manipulation taking place behind the scenes that poses the real threat. Unlike open debate, which allows for rebuttal and discussion, manipulation through algorithms and hidden content prioritization strips us of our agency without us even realizing it.

Two recent events bring this issue into sharp focus. The annulment of Romania’s presidential election after allegations of foreign influence and the ongoing U.S. efforts to ban TikTok illustrate how unregulated platforms can be used as tools of hidden manipulation. These incidents raise critical questions for citizens and businesses alike. How can we safeguard the democratic principles we cherish in the Nordic region? And how should we, as business leaders, approach the use of these platforms in our marketing, hiring, and communications strategies?

For Scandinavian societies, where trust, transparency, and democratic values are fundamental, these issues hit particularly close to home. While many of us view social media as a force for free expression, it has also become a breeding ground for disinformation, manipulation, and social unrest. As citizens and business leaders, we must ask ourselves: How can we engage responsibly with these platforms? How can our companies, governments, and communities protect democratic integrity and ensure a safe, truthful information ecosystem?

The Romanian election crisis is a warning to us all

Romania's recent presidential election crisis highlights just how fragile democratic processes can become in the face of unregulated social media. This month, the country’s Constitutional Court annulled the results of its first-round presidential election after discovering that Russian operatives had conducted a sophisticated disinformation campaign. Central to this scandal was TikTok, where thousands of coordinated accounts promoted far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, a political outsider who had previously shown support for anti-NATO positions.

Georgescu’s rise from obscurity to frontrunner shocked both Romanian citizens and the international community. His campaign strategy relied heavily on TikTok, where algorithm-driven content recommendation systems played a decisive role in shaping public opinion. Critics accused TikTok of amplifying pro-Georgescu content while suppressing his rivals. Romanian intelligence later confirmed that Russia had leveraged the platform to push its geopolitical interests, calling into question TikTok’s neutrality and its role in the spread of propaganda.

The fallout was significant. Protests erupted in Bucharest as citizens demanded electoral integrity, while Georgescu's supporters decried the annulment as an attack on democracy. This case serves as a warning to all democracies, including those in Scandinavia, that the manipulation of social media can corrode public trust in elections and institutions. If a country like Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO, can be so easily destabilized, then no democracy is immune.

The unseen risks of social media influence

While the Romanian crisis is a stark example, it is not unique. Unregulated social media has played a controversial role in other major political events, from the 2016 U.S. presidential election to the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom. There is no reason to believe that the Nordic countries of Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland have not also been targets for similar disinformation campaigns aimed at weakening social trust, promoting populist candidates, or eroding faith in democratic institutions.

But disinformation isn't just a political problem — it’s a societal one. The rise of X (formerly Twitter) under Elon Musk has demonstrated how quickly a platform's priorities can change. Musk’s decision to remove moderation policies has made X fertile ground for disinformation, hate speech, and extremist content. This shift raises important questions for Scandinavian users and business leaders. Can we trust that the platforms we use for communication and marketing will remain safe for users? Should our companies continue to allocate advertising budgets to platforms that knowingly reduce oversight?

This issue also affects how Scandinavian brands are perceived. If a company’s ad appears next to disinformation or extremist content, its reputation may be at risk. Therefore, companies should review their digital marketing strategies and demand transparency from platforms about where their ads appear. Corporate responsibility should not end with sustainability goals — it must extend to ethical advertising and information integrity.

Foreign actors use social media to divide and distract

Foreign interference in elections is not new, but social media has made it significantly more effective. By exploiting platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and X, foreign actors can spread targeted disinformation that is both cost-effective and difficult to trace. Russia’s use of TikTok during the Romanian election is one of the clearest examples of this trend. By promoting certain candidates and flooding the platform with divisive content, Russia aimed to install a president who would weaken Romania's pro-EU and pro-NATO stance.

But Russia is not the only player. Similar tactics have been observed from other state actors, including China, which has been accused of influencing content through TikTok. This is one of the key reasons behind the United States' decision to push for a ban on TikTok or force its parent company, ByteDance, to divest. Lawmakers in the U.S. argue that TikTok could be used as a “soft power” tool for the Chinese government, allowing it to influence public narratives in other countries.

For Scandinavians, this should also raise vital questions about sovereignty and privacy. Should our governments allow foreign-controlled platforms to influence national debates? How can we ensure that Scandinavian elections remain free from outside manipulation? The answers lie in both national regulation and transnational cooperation. In Norway, all nine parliamentary parties have now signed an agreement not to use deepfakes and disinformation in the run-up to next year's parliamentary elections. Although it is a self-declaration without oversight related to the follow-up, it is perhaps something other countries' political parties should follow. In any case it's a start.

Organized crime exploits social media loopholes

While foreign states may have geopolitical goals, organized crime groups have financial and political motives. These groups are increasingly leveraging social media platforms to spread fake content, defraud users, and influence public perception. In some cases, criminal networks act as "disinformation contractors," spreading propaganda on behalf of paying political clients.

A worrying trend is the rise of “black PR” campaigns, where disinformation is weaponized to attack business competitors or political rivals. Companies and individuals become targets of smear campaigns, often orchestrated by anonymous accounts that cannot be easily traced. In Scandinavia, where trust and reputation are vital, these tactics pose a serious threat to both businesses and governments.

For business leaders, this means the days of "hands-off" social media engagement are over. Corporate strategies must include crisis management plans for dealing with disinformation attacks. Furthermore, companies must actively monitor social media for fake news that could harm their brand image. Just as firms have cybersecurity operations, they may soon need "disinformation operations" to detect and counter false narratives.

What should we do?

Both citizens and business leaders in Scandinavia have a role to play in combating the dangers of unregulated social media. Citizens must become more critical of the information they consume and actively verify news sources before sharing content. Digital literacy campaigns should be a national priority, especially in schools, to ensure that younger generations have the tools to spot disinformation.

Business leaders, on the other hand, must recognize that their role extends beyond profit. By choosing which platforms to support with advertising money, companies can incentivize responsible behavior from social media giants. For instance, Scandinavian brands should demand greater transparency from platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and X regarding their content moderation policies. If platforms fail to comply, companies should consider redirecting their ad budgets to platforms that meet higher ethical standards.

Governments, too, have a role to play. Regulatory oversight is essential, and Scandinavian countries should push for stronger rules at the EU level. The EU's Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to moderate illegal content, is a step in the right direction. But it is obviously not enough. Governments should explore more targeted measures to ensure transparency in social media algorithms, promote media literacy, and safeguard elections from external interference.

A call to action to save free speech

Free speech is a principle I will always defend. I believe that society should tolerate a wide range of views, even those we find uncomfortable or offensive. But the real threat to free speech today is not loud voices shouting opinions — it is the silent forces operating behind the scenes. It is the foreign actors, rogue states, and organized crime groups that use social media algorithms to shape our beliefs without us even knowing it.

This is not fear mongering, the dangers of unregulated social media are no longer theoretical. The Romanian election crisis and the TikTok ban process in the United States provide clear evidence that these platforms can be manipulated to influence public opinion, destabilize governments, and undermine democracy. For Scandinavians, the stakes are high. Our region is known for its social trust, democratic governance, and respect for transparency. We cannot afford to let disinformation weaken these values.

As citizens, we must become more critical media consumers, rejecting the "share first, think later" approach that disinformation thrives on. As business leaders, we must hold platforms accountable and demand more responsible content moderation. Companies have the power to shape platform behavior by controlling where advertising money flows. And as governments, we must push for regulation and international cooperation to ensure fair, safe, and transparent social media.

Scandinavia has long been a model for equality, democracy, and trust. But trust is fragile. If we fail to act, we risk seeing it eroded by the very platforms that promised to connect us. The lesson is clear: social media must be regulated. It is not just a question of ethics but of survival for our democratic way of life.