Meta’s leading policy official, Nick Clegg, is resigning from his role just as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office. His successor: one of the company’s leading Republicans.
Clegg, the ex-deputy prime minister of the UK, became part of the company in 2018 and was promoted to president of global affairs in 2022. He will pass the leadership to his second-in-command, Joel Kaplan, a veteran policy executive with strong Republican connections.
“As the new year starts, I believe this is the appropriate moment for me to transition from my position,” Clegg stated in a Facebook update on Thursday, noting that the company he joined, previously called Facebook, has changed significantly since then.” Clegg stated he will stay at Meta for a “few months” to assist Kaplan’s takeover before departing the company, though the leadership change is effective right away.
The chief of public affairs has emerged as one of Meta’s crucial roles — Clegg assisted the company in tackling issues ranging from worries about the risks its products present to youth to the platform’s restrictions by the Russian government at the start of its war in Ukraine, frequently shielding CEO Mark Zuckerberg from increased public attention regarding these matters. Kaplan’s ascent occurs as Zuckerberg has aimed to strengthen ties with Trump ahead of his return to the White House this month.
Kaplan had numerous important positions, such as deputy chief of staff for policy, in President George W. Bush’s White House before joining Meta in 2011 — he also faced criticism for being present at the Senate confirmation hearing of his friend and former colleague, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He might be in a stronger position than his predecessor to assist the company in managing a Republican-led White House and Congress.
“Clegg stated in his post that Joel is undoubtedly the perfect individual for the appropriate position at the perfect moment — excellently situated to influence the company’s strategy as societal and political demands regarding technology keep changing.”
In response to Clegg’s post, Zuckerberg remarked that he is “thankful for all you’ve accomplished for Meta and the world over the last seven years… you’ve significantly influenced the advancement of Meta’s voice and values globally, along with our vision for AI and the metaverse.” He remarked: “I’m thrilled for Joel to take on this role, considering his extensive experience and understanding while directing our policy efforts in the years ahead.”
Kevin Martin, a former chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission during Bush’s presidency who started with the company in 2015, will take over Kaplan’s position as vice president of global policy.
Meta stated that Zuckerberg aims to engage actively in discussions regarding tech policy with the incoming Trump administration. Similar to other CEOs, Zuckerberg visited Trump at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort after the election, and Meta contributed $1 million to his inaugural fund.
In the past few years, Meta has reduced certain content moderation initiatives related to elections, such as permitting users to share allegations of voter fraud and political advertisements that contest the results of the 2020 election — a change praised by Republicans who claimed the company was “censoring” conservative perspectives. In a summer letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg claimed that the Biden administration had “pressed” Meta to “censor” material during the pandemic, an assertion that Trump swiftly utilized to reiterate the false notion that the 2020 election was rigged.
For Zuckerberg and Meta, enhancing their shaky relationship with Trump could be vital. In a book that came out this summer, Trump claimed the Meta leader was “conspiring” against him and warned Zuckerberg of “life in prison” if he committed “any illegal actions” during the election.
The Biden administration has been largely unfriendly towards Big Tech, initiating multiple significant antitrust lawsuits against Meta’s counterparts, such as Google, Apple, and Amazon. The Trump administration is anticipated to address important technology matters, such as the regulation of artificial intelligence and the management of current antitrust lawsuits, including those involving Meta.
