Alexei Oreskovic
Fri, January 3, 2025
Nick Clegg, Meta’s powerful head of policy and government affairs, is leaving the internet company as it prepares for a major shift in Washington, D.C., as Trump returns to the White House.
Clegg, a former U.K. deputy prime minister who joined the company in 2018, will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a veteran Republican party operative who served as former U.S. President George W. Bush’s deputy chief of staff.
The news, first reported by Semafor, represents a major shakeup on Meta’s senior leadership team and reflects the company’s efforts to adapt to a radically changed political landscape. Meta cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who previously had a strained relationship with Trump, has reportedly met with the President-elect in Florida, and Meta has recently pledged to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
“As a new year begins, I have come to the view that this is the right time for me to move on from my role as President, Global Affairs at Meta,” Clegg said in a string of posts on X on Thursday.
“My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between 'big tech' and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector. I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics—worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe,” Clegg wrote.
Clegg joined the company in 2018, when it was still called Facebook and was reelling from backlash over a string of user privacy mishaps and its role sharing misinformation during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Clegg helped launch the company’s oversight board, a panel of experts that makes decisions and advises Zuckerberg on Meta policies around content moderation, privacy, and other issues.
In 2022, Clegg was promoted to president of global affairs, a role that Zuckerberg said at the time elevated the former U.K. politician to the same level as his own, while freeing Zuckerberg to focus on products and strategy.
With Trump set to return to the White House in a few weeks, Meta is facing a very different political environment. The President-elect, who once threatened to have Zuckerberg jailed, and his entourage of right-wing supporters are far more concerned about issues of free speech and alleged censorship on social media platforms than they are with curbing misinformation.
Clegg said on Thursday that he would leave Meta in the "next few months," after handing over the reins to Kaplan, who he described as "quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time."
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Nick Clegg exits Facebook as big tech bows to Trump
James Titcomb
Thu, January 2, 2025
THE DAILY BEAST
As Silicon Valley’s big tech companies seek to align themselves with the incoming Republican administration, the former Liberal Democrat leader said it was “the right time” to leave.
Sir Nick, who spent more than six years at Meta on a reported salary of more than £10m, will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a Meta lobbyist with deep links in the Republican party. In a nod to the incoming US administration, Sir Nick said Mr Kaplan was “clearly the right person for the right job at the right time”.
As Silicon Valley’s big tech companies seek to align themselves with the incoming Republican administration, the former Liberal Democrat leader said it was “the right time” to leave.
Sir Nick, who spent more than six years at Meta on a reported salary of more than £10m, will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a Meta lobbyist with deep links in the Republican party. In a nod to the incoming US administration, Sir Nick said Mr Kaplan was “clearly the right person for the right job at the right time”.
Mark Zuckerberg is promoting Joel Kaplan, a lobbyist with close ties to Republicans, to take over as Meta’s president of global affairs -
The former Liberal Democrat leader joined Facebook in 2018 as president of global affairs, the most prominent position at Meta after Mr Zuckerberg. His arrival came as the company was barraged by claims it had helped Mr Trump win the White House by allowing fake news and exposing personal data.
Sir Nick, who once said he would march against Mr Trump, was closely involved in the decision to ban the then-president from Facebook and Instagram in 2021 over claims the Republican used the platforms to incite a mob attack on the Capitol in Washington.
Although Mr Trump was later reinstated on Meta’s platforms, he is believed to have remained furious at the slight and last year he threatened to imprison Mr Zuckerberg if he used his position to interfere in November’s election.
Sir Nick, meanwhile, has attacked Mr Trump’s close ally Elon Musk, saying he has become a “political puppet master” and turned X, formerly known as Twitter, into a “one-man hyper-partisan hobby horse”.
His exit from Meta comes as Silicon Valley leaders seek to court Mr Trump ahead of his inauguration.
Since the election victory, Mr Zuckerberg has travelled to Mar-a-Lago to dine with Mr Trump, donated to his inauguration fund, and expressed an interest in influencing the administration’s policies.
Mr Zuckerberg said he was “grateful” to Sir Nick for “everything you’ve done for Meta and the world these past seven years.”
He added: “I’m excited for Joel to step into this role next given his deep experience and insight leading our policy work for many years.”
Announcing his resignation, Sir Nick said: “As a new year begins, I have come to the view that this is the right time for me to move on from my role as president, global affairs at Meta. It truly has been an adventure of a lifetime!
“My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between ‘big tech’ and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector.
“I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics – worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe.
He added: “I am simply thrilled that my deputy, Joel Kaplan, will now become Meta’s chief global affairs officer… He is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time!”
Sir Nick said he would “move on to new adventures” after leaving Meta. He said he would spend the next few months “handing over the reins” to Mr Kaplan, who worked in the Bush administration as the White House deputy chief of staff.
Sir Nick moved to Silicon Valley but returned to London in 2022 after being promoted, and had been seen by insiders as likely to have less influence in a Republican-dominated Washington.
Meta Taps GOP Figure and Brett Kavanaugh’s Pal to Key Company Role
Zachary Folk
Thu, January 2, 2025
Meta has tapped Joel Kaplan, a former deputy chief of staff for George W. Bush and a friend of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as the company’s global head of policy—promoting one of the social media company’s most prominent Republicans just as Silicon Valley leaders pursue closer ties with the incoming Trump administration.
In a public announcement on Facebook, Nick Clegg, Meta’s president for global affairs, announced he would step down in the upcoming year, and confirmed that Kaplan, the company’s vice president for global public policy, would take his place.
“Joel is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time - ideally placed to shape the company’s strategy as societal and political expectations around technology continue to evolve,” Clegg wrote.
Kaplan, a Harvard Law School graduate and marine veteran who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, was first brought on at the company in 2011 to work on policy in Washington, according to a 2022 profile in Wired.
But Kaplan found himself at the center of a controversy after he was spotted sitting behind Kavanaugh during one of his confirmation hearings, showing support for his fellow Bush administration alumnus as he faced allegations of sexual assault from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
Joel Kaplan courted controversy when he was spotted sitting directly behind Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his contentious confirmation hearings.
Kaplan’s prominent position behind his friend sparked outrage among hundreds of Facebook employees, prompting the company to host a town hall meeting to discuss the incident.
“I’ve talked to Joel about why I think it was a mistake for him to attend given his role in the company,” former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an internal post to employees.
Kaplan later apologized in his own note circulated to employees, The New York Times reported in 2018. In other posts obtained by the paper, Kaplan said he was standing by his friend and took a personal day to attend the hearing.
“I have known Brett and Ashley Kavanaugh for 20 years,” Kaplan wrote. “They are my and my wife Laura’s closest friends in D.C. I was in their wedding; he was in ours. Our kids have grown up together.”
Despite the apologies, Kaplan and his wife still hosted a party for supporters after Kavanaugh was confirmed, Politico reported at the time.
The new appointment comes as Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley leaders look to shore up support in the incoming Trump administration. The Meta founder made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago in November, and reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund weeks later.
Clegg was Britain’s deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, when his Liberal Democrat Party formed a coalition government with the Conservatives. The coalition ended after the Liberal Democrats lost most of their support in the 2015 election, and Clegg lost his own seat in parliament in 2017.
In a post announcing his departure, Clegg said he was “simply thrilled” that Kaplan would be his successor.
Current and former Meta executives sounded off in the comments of Clegg’s post, praising his over-six-year tenure at the company and his chosen successor.
“Joel brings decades of experience both at Meta and in government to this job, as well as enormous talent, skill, vision and creativity,” wrote Sandberg, who has since left the company. “There is no one more capable of leading this team during this time of innovation and opportunity for Meta. Joel - congratulations and we all can’t wait to see what you do!”
“I am honored to follow in your footsteps and am grateful for your continued partnership as I ramp up,” Kaplan said in his own post praising his predecessor.
Meta taps its top Republican to oversee global affairs ahead of the Trump administration
William Gavin
Thu, January 2, 2025
Thu, January 2, 2025
Meta has tapped Joel Kaplan, a former deputy chief of staff for George W. Bush and a friend of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as the company’s global head of policy—promoting one of the social media company’s most prominent Republicans just as Silicon Valley leaders pursue closer ties with the incoming Trump administration.
In a public announcement on Facebook, Nick Clegg, Meta’s president for global affairs, announced he would step down in the upcoming year, and confirmed that Kaplan, the company’s vice president for global public policy, would take his place.
“Joel is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time - ideally placed to shape the company’s strategy as societal and political expectations around technology continue to evolve,” Clegg wrote.
Kaplan, a Harvard Law School graduate and marine veteran who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, was first brought on at the company in 2011 to work on policy in Washington, according to a 2022 profile in Wired.
But Kaplan found himself at the center of a controversy after he was spotted sitting behind Kavanaugh during one of his confirmation hearings, showing support for his fellow Bush administration alumnus as he faced allegations of sexual assault from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
Joel Kaplan courted controversy when he was spotted sitting directly behind Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his contentious confirmation hearings.
Kaplan’s prominent position behind his friend sparked outrage among hundreds of Facebook employees, prompting the company to host a town hall meeting to discuss the incident.
“I’ve talked to Joel about why I think it was a mistake for him to attend given his role in the company,” former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an internal post to employees.
Kaplan later apologized in his own note circulated to employees, The New York Times reported in 2018. In other posts obtained by the paper, Kaplan said he was standing by his friend and took a personal day to attend the hearing.
“I have known Brett and Ashley Kavanaugh for 20 years,” Kaplan wrote. “They are my and my wife Laura’s closest friends in D.C. I was in their wedding; he was in ours. Our kids have grown up together.”
Despite the apologies, Kaplan and his wife still hosted a party for supporters after Kavanaugh was confirmed, Politico reported at the time.
The new appointment comes as Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley leaders look to shore up support in the incoming Trump administration. The Meta founder made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago in November, and reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund weeks later.
Clegg was Britain’s deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, when his Liberal Democrat Party formed a coalition government with the Conservatives. The coalition ended after the Liberal Democrats lost most of their support in the 2015 election, and Clegg lost his own seat in parliament in 2017.
In a post announcing his departure, Clegg said he was “simply thrilled” that Kaplan would be his successor.
Current and former Meta executives sounded off in the comments of Clegg’s post, praising his over-six-year tenure at the company and his chosen successor.
“Joel brings decades of experience both at Meta and in government to this job, as well as enormous talent, skill, vision and creativity,” wrote Sandberg, who has since left the company. “There is no one more capable of leading this team during this time of innovation and opportunity for Meta. Joel - congratulations and we all can’t wait to see what you do!”
“I am honored to follow in your footsteps and am grateful for your continued partnership as I ramp up,” Kaplan said in his own post praising his predecessor.
Meta taps its top Republican to oversee global affairs ahead of the Trump administration
William Gavin
Thu, January 2, 2025
SEMAFOR
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms (META) has tapped Joel Kaplan to lead its global affairs team, putting the company’s most prominent Republican in a top job.
The move comes just weeks ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration later this month and as big tech companies prepare for a shift in federal policy. Several major CEOs, from Zuckerberg himself to Amazon’s (AMZN) Jeff Bezos and Google’s (GOOGL) Sundar Pichai, recently met with Trump to discuss his vision for his administration.
Kaplan, Meta’s current vice president of global policy, worked for Former President George W. Bush as the White House deputy chief of staff. Last month, he joined Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and Trump at the New York Stock Exchange, where Trump was being honored as Time magazine’s Person of the Year. In 2018, he attended the Senate confirmation hearing for his “friend” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which sparked an internal backlash.
Semafor first reported the shakeup, which was confirmed on Facebook by Nick Clegg, Meta’s current president of global affairs. Clegg said he would continue representing the company throughout the first quarter of 2025.
“My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between ‘big tech’ and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector,” Clegg wrote. “I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics – worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe.”
Before joining Meta as vice president of global affairs in October 2018, Clegg was a major politico in the United Kingdom. He served as Prime Minister David Cameron’s deputy prime minister, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and a member of parliament.
During his tenure, Clegg represented Meta in both Washington D.C. and London, often speaking at events about the intersection of technology and democracy and Congressional hearings. He also helped guide Meta through the fallout from the scandal revolving around Cambridge Analytica, the British data firm that illegally used social media data to target Americans during the 2016 presidential election. Meta, then known as Facebook, paid a $5 billion fine to settle with the Federal Trade Commission.
Clegg spoke favorably of Kaplan, writing that he was “thrilled” with his appointment and calling him “quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time.” Former Federal Communications Commission Chair Kevin Martin, who was nominated by Bush in April 2001, will become Meta’s vice president of global policy, Clegg wrote. Martin has been at Meta since 2015.
Nick Clegg leaves Meta ahead of Trump's return as US president
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms (META) has tapped Joel Kaplan to lead its global affairs team, putting the company’s most prominent Republican in a top job.
The move comes just weeks ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration later this month and as big tech companies prepare for a shift in federal policy. Several major CEOs, from Zuckerberg himself to Amazon’s (AMZN) Jeff Bezos and Google’s (GOOGL) Sundar Pichai, recently met with Trump to discuss his vision for his administration.
Kaplan, Meta’s current vice president of global policy, worked for Former President George W. Bush as the White House deputy chief of staff. Last month, he joined Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and Trump at the New York Stock Exchange, where Trump was being honored as Time magazine’s Person of the Year. In 2018, he attended the Senate confirmation hearing for his “friend” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which sparked an internal backlash.
Semafor first reported the shakeup, which was confirmed on Facebook by Nick Clegg, Meta’s current president of global affairs. Clegg said he would continue representing the company throughout the first quarter of 2025.
“My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between ‘big tech’ and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector,” Clegg wrote. “I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics – worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe.”
Before joining Meta as vice president of global affairs in October 2018, Clegg was a major politico in the United Kingdom. He served as Prime Minister David Cameron’s deputy prime minister, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and a member of parliament.
During his tenure, Clegg represented Meta in both Washington D.C. and London, often speaking at events about the intersection of technology and democracy and Congressional hearings. He also helped guide Meta through the fallout from the scandal revolving around Cambridge Analytica, the British data firm that illegally used social media data to target Americans during the 2016 presidential election. Meta, then known as Facebook, paid a $5 billion fine to settle with the Federal Trade Commission.
Clegg spoke favorably of Kaplan, writing that he was “thrilled” with his appointment and calling him “quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time.” Former Federal Communications Commission Chair Kevin Martin, who was nominated by Bush in April 2001, will become Meta’s vice president of global policy, Clegg wrote. Martin has been at Meta since 2015.
Nick Clegg leaves Meta ahead of Trump's return as US president
Vishala Sri-Pathma & Zoe Kleinman
Business reporter and Technology editor, BBC News
Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg is to step down from his current job as president of global affairs at social media giant Meta.
In a post on Meta's Facebook on Thursday, Sir Nick, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said he was departing the company after nearly seven years.
He will be replaced by his current deputy and Republican Joel Kaplan, who previously served as deputy chief of staff in the White House during President George W Bush's administration, and is known for handling the company's relations with Republicans.
He added that he would spend "a few months handing over the reins" and representing Facebook at international gatherings before moving on to "new adventures".
Sir Nick's resignation comes just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House.
The president-elect has repeatedly accused Meta and other platforms of censorship and silencing conservative speech.
His relations with Mr Zuckerberg have been particularly strained, after Facebook and Instagram suspended the former president's accounts for two years in 2021, after they said he praised those engaged in violence at the Capitol on 6 January.
More recently, Trump threatened to imprison Mr Zuckerberg if he interfered in the 2024 election, and even called Facebook an "enemy of the people" in March.
However tensions appear to be thawing between the two, with the pair dining at Trump's Florida estate in Mar-a-Lago since the US election.
Mr Zuckerberg also congratulated him on his victory and donated $1m (£786,000) to an inauguration fund.
Sir Nick's departure is seen by some analysts as a nod to the changing of the guard in Washington.
He joined Facebook in 2018, after losing his seat as an MP in 2017. He was later promoted to president of global affairs, a prominent position at Meta.
In a statement announcing he would step down, Sir Nick said his successor Joel Kaplan is "quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time".
Trump was photographed with Mr Kaplan at the New York Stock Exchange last month.
Social media industry analyst Jasmine Enberg said Mr Kaplan was "likely the right person for the job in this political moment".
"Meta, like other tech companies, has been rushing to curry favour with the incoming Trump administration," she told the BBC.
Sir Nick leaving Meta, and increased political polarisation on social platforms, suggests the company may shift how it moderates political speech, she added.
Different worlds
During his time at Meta, Sir Nick established himself not only as a spokesperson but also a bridge between governments, regulators and the tech firm.
As new regulation and legislation began to force social media companies to take more responsibility for the content on their platforms and the consequences of it, that role became crucial.
He oversaw the creation of the Oversight Board, an independent body set up to oversee Meta's content moderation decisions.
He said recently, however, that the firm's actions had resulted in some people being "unfairly penalised" on its platforms too often.
Sir Nick has also been open about his views on Trump's close ally, Elon Musk, describing him as a political puppet master, claiming he has turned X, formerly Twitter, into a "one-man hyper-partisan hobby horse".
The former Liberal Democrat leader moved to Silicon Valley initially but returned to London in 2022.
He said he was moving on to "new adventures" with "immense gratitude and pride" at what he had been part of.
"My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between 'big tech' and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector," he said.
"I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics – worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe."
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