Nick Clegg to step down from Meta role – with prominent Republican Joel Kaplan to replace him

Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg has said he is stepping down from his role at Facebook parent firm Meta.

He said it was the “right time for me to move on” from president of global affairs.

With Donald Trump just weeks from being sworn in, he will be replaced by former Republican White House deputy chief of staff Joel Kaplan, who served under George W Bush from 2006 to 2009.

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!”

The ex-Liberal Democrat leader joined Meta as vice‑president for global affairs and communications in 2018 after losing his seat as an MP the year before.

He was promoted in 2022, with Mark Zuckerberg saying the move put Sir Nick on a par with himself and that he would lead “on all our policy matters”.

Sir Nick reportedly enjoys a multi-million-dollar salary and shares package at the company.

His job has focussed on developing policy at a time of increasing concern over misinformation, handling of user data, and harmful content.

The 57-year-old also helped set up the Facebook Oversight Board, an independent panel that makes important content moderation decisions.

It was during Mr Clegg’s tenure that Donald Trump was banned from Facebook after riots at the US Capitol in January 2021. That decision was reversed in January 2023.

However, with Mr Trump about to become president, having a well-known Republican in such a senior role could be beneficial.

The incoming president and Meta had strained relations after the 2020 election, with Mr Trump accusing the company of suppressing content that would have hurt Joe Biden.

Meta has also donated $1m to Trump’s inaugural fund, a company spokesperson told Reuters news agency.

Announcing his departure on Facebook, Sir Nick added: “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 said it had been an “extraordinary privilege to gain a front row insight into what makes Silicon Valley such an enduring hub of world leading innovation”.

Sir Nick said he would move on to “new adventures” after spending a few months handing over to Mr Kaplan, his current deputy.