The Finnish state chancellery has been under scrutiny after it refused to release messages concerning an eye-rolling controversy involving members of the government. According to reports by MTV, the chancellery's justification for withholding these communications has been deemed insufficient by legal experts. Professor Tomi Voutilainen criticized the chancellery's stance, questioning how all messages could possibly be classified as confidential, especially those expressing opinions directed at the Prime Minister, which he argues do not fall under privacy protections.

The chancellery has claimed that the communications were submitted to the Prime Minister in relation to his official duties and hence should not be considered public documents. However, this assertion is at odds with a 2020 ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court, which stated that letters addressed to ministers are subject to public disclosure laws. This clash of interpretations on what constitutes a public record raises critical questions about transparency in government communication.

Moreover, the eye-rolling scandal, which has drawn significant international attention, particularly in Asia, began to escalate when it was revealed that comments made during a Miss Finland contest were perceived as damaging to Finland's reputation. As this situation unfolds, it underscores the tension between governmental accountability and the need for privacy in official communications, pointing to ongoing debates regarding openness in Finnish governance and public trust in political institutions.