Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg is to leave his current role as chairman of global affairs at social media giant Meta.
In a post on Meta’s Facebook on Thursday, Sir Nick, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said he was leaving the company after almost seven years.
He will be replaced by his current deputy, Republican Joe Kaplan, who previously served as deputy White House chief of staff during the administration of President George W. Bush and is known for managing the company’s relations with Republicans.
He added that he would spend “a few months handing over” and representing Facebook at international gatherings before embarking on “new adventures.”
Sir Nick’s resignation comes just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House.
The president-elect has repeatedly accused Meta and other platforms of censorship and silencing conservative speech.
His relationship with Mr. Zuckerberg was particularly strained, after Facebook and Instagram suspended the former president’s accounts for two years in 2021, after he said he had praised those involved in the violence at the Capitol. on January 6.
Most recently, Trump threatened to imprison Mr. Zuckerberg if he interfered in the 2024 election, and even called Facebook the “enemy of the people” in March.
However, tensions appear to be easing between the pair, with both men dining at Trump’s Florida property at Mar-a-Lago since the US election.
Mr Zuckerberg also congratulated him on his victory and donated $1 million (£786,000) to an inauguration fund.
Sir Nick’s departure is seen by some analysts as a nod to the changing of the guard in Washington.
He joined Facebook in 2018, after losing his MP seat in 2017. He was later promoted to president of global affairs, an important position at Meta.
He was instrumental in launching Meta’s Oversight Council, a group of experts that makes decisions and advises Mr. Zuckerberg on policies relating to content moderation, privacy and other issues.
Sir Nick has been outspoken about his views on Trump’s close ally Elon Musk, describing him as a political puppeteer, saying he has turned X, formerly Twitter, into a ‘hyper-partisan hobby horse’ .
The former Liberal Democrat leader initially moved to Silicon Valley, but returned to London in 2022.
In his statement, he said he was heading into “new adventures” with “tremendous gratitude and immense pride” for what he had been a part of.
He said: “My time at the company has coincided with a significant reset of the relationship between ‘big tech’ and the societal pressures manifest in new laws, institutions and standards affecting the sector.
“I hope to have played a role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of technology and politics – worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe.”
He added: “I’m just thrilled that my deputy, Joel Kaplan, will now become Meta’s Director of Global Affairs… He’s clearly the right person for the right job at the right time! »
