Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Inc. is restructuring its global policy team, with global president Nick Clegg stepping down and being replaced by Joel Kaplan, the company's most senior Republican executive.
semaphores report Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a major leadership change on Thursday, with Joel Kaplan replacing Nick Clegg as head of the company's global policy team. He plans to take on the role of director. Mr. Kaplan, who currently serves as Meta's vice president of global public policy and was chief vice president to Mr. Clegg, will take over the role in the coming weeks, the people said.
The shift comes as Silicon Valley giants bow to President-elect Donald Trump and his inner circle, retreating from the progressive stance many have adopted in recent years. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who was previously threatened with prison time by President Trump, recently dined with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago and congratulated him on his election victory.
Mr. Kaplan, who served as White House deputy chief of staff in the George W. Bush administration, has strongly opposed restrictions on political speech within Meta. He argued that such policies would unfairly silence conservative voices on the platform. Clegg, a former British deputy prime minister and leader of the country's Liberal Democratic Party, joined Meta in 2018 to oversee the company's policy and lobbying efforts. He was promoted to president in 2022.
Kaplan's promotion, Kevin Martin, who served as FCC commissioner under George W. With his appointment, Mr. Mehta appears to be in a better position to maneuver politically in Republican-controlled Washington.
In a statement, Zuckerberg thanked Clegg for his contributions to Meta over the past seven years. “I learned a lot working with you, and our entire team is better for having this opportunity,” he said. “You have been a key influence in advancing the voices and values of Meta around the world and our vision for AI and the Metaverse. You have also been a key influence in advancing our vision for AI and the Metaverse, and we have a strong team to drive this work forward. I am looking forward to taking on this role, given the depth of experience and insight Joel has had over the years leading our policy efforts.”
At Facebook, Mr. Clegg's left-wing worldview has made him a central figure in the company's censorship apparatus. Mr Clegg helped oust President Donald Trump and did not reverse his decision until 2023.
As Breitbart News reported:
Nick Clegg, Facebook's president of global affairs and former British deputy prime minister, is reportedly overseeing the decision to allow Trump back on the platform.
In a June 2021 blog post, Clegg explained how the company would consider Trump's return to the stage, saying: Continue to reassess until the risk recedes. ”
In December, two Democratic senators told Facebook that Trump would likely violate the company's policies if given the chance to return, citing recent posts by Trump on Truth Social. As evidence, they asked that Trump remain suspended from the company's platform. Democratic lawmakers argued that Meta should keep Trump's ban in place to protect users.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
