Meta’s Top Policy Executive Stepping Down as Trump Takes Office
Meta’s top policy executive, Nick Clegg, is stepping down from his post as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister, will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a longtime policy executive with deep Republican ties.
Clegg has been in his role since 2022 and has been responsible for navigating Meta’s public affairs, including handling concerns about the company’s products’ risks to young people and cracking down on the platform by the Russian government at the outset of its war in Ukraine.
Kaplan has a strong Republican background, having held several key roles in President George W. Bush’s White House before joining Meta in 2011. He is expected to be well-positioned to help the company navigate a Republican-controlled White House and Congress.
Clegg will remain at Meta for a few months to support Kaplan’s takeover before leaving the company. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Clegg’s work, saying he had “made an important impact advancing Meta’s voice and values around the world, as well as our vision for AI and the metaverse.”
Kaplan will take over for Clegg, who will fill the role of vice president of global policy, which will be filled by Kevin Martin, a former chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission.
Zuckerberg has said he wants to take an active role in tech policy conversations with the incoming Trump administration. Meta has previously rolled back some election-related content moderation efforts and has donated to Trump’s inaugural fund.