Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Britain, has announced that he is leaving Meta after six years at the social media giant.
Clegg, who joined in 2018 and rose to become the company’s president of global media, confirmed his exit in a Facebook post, describing his tenure as “the adventure of a lifetime”.
He joined then-Facebook during a time of intense scrutiny, helping to steer the tech behemoth through the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Clegg went on to lead the creation of an independent Oversight Board, an initiative aimed at increasing transparency in content rating and governance.
Joel Kaplan, Clegg’s deputy and Meta’s former vice president of global public policy, will replace him. Kaplan served under President George W Bush as deputy chief of staff for policy and is considered one of the most prominent voices of conservatives within Meta’s senior ranks. He emerged from the company amid criticism from Republicans who say Facebook has a liberal bias, leading to moves such as partnering with the fact-checking division of the Daily Caller news site.
Clegg’s departure comes just weeks before Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration on January 20. Meta and other social networks have navigated a complicated relationship with the former president, from blocking his accounts to restoring them and donating to his founding fund in 2017. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Clegg’s impact in “advancing Meta’s voice and values around the world.” ” and expressed confidence in Kaplan’s ability to guide policy in what could be a turbulent political environment.
