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Meta changes face: Nick Clegg leaves, Joel Kaplan close to Trump takes key role

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Published

12 mesi ago

3 Gennaio 2025

Bre-news

Changing of the guard at the top of Meta: Nick Clegg leaves after seven years and Joel Kaplan, former Republican and close to Donald Trump, takes his place

Meta, the giant behind Facebook and Instagram, sees a significant change at the top with the departure of Nick Clegg, former British deputy prime minister and president of global affairs for the company. After seven years at the helm of the platform in a prominent role, Clegg announced his decision to leave the post to his deputy, Joel Kaplan, a controversial but well-known figure in the American political landscape, particularly for his ties to the Republican Party and his closeness to US President-elect Donald Trump.

The announcement of Clegg’s departure came via a Facebook post, in which he explained that he will spend a few months preparing the handover before venturing into new challenges. In a letter to his colleagues, Clegg said that ‘the new year marks the right time for me to leave office’, adding that Kaplan is the ideal person to pick up the baton, describing him as competent and with integrity.

According to the Financial Times, the leadership change comes just weeks before Trump’s return to the White House, with the Republican Party poised to dominate both houses of Congress. The newspaper points out that major technology companies, including Meta, are already adapting to the impending political change, considering the continued accusations by Trump and the Republicans of censoring conservative voices. Trump, in fact, has repeatedly threatened legal action against Meta’s top management, including Mark Zuckerberg.

Clegg, who had joined Meta in 2018, ably managed the company’s difficult relationship with regulators in both the US and EU, allowing Zuckerberg to focus on strategic initiatives such as artificial intelligence and new product development. However, Clegg had moved to London in mid-2022, and it had long been known that he would end his tenure.

The choice of Kaplan, a well-known lobbyist and former deputy White House chief of staff under George W. Bush, is not without controversy. The Financial Times reports that Kaplan often lobbied politically on behalf of right-wingers within Meta, although the company has denied any favouritism. One of the most critical moments of his career at Meta occurred in late 2018, when Kaplan attended the congressional questioning of his friend Brett Kavanaugh, then a Supreme Court nominee, despite allegations of sexual assault. This episode caused discontent among the company’s employees, with Kaplan being accused of interfering in internal policy decisions.

This passing of the baton reflects the delicate balance Meta must maintain in the face of changing political scenarios and external pressures, especially at a time when the relationship between the world of technology and American politics is increasingly under the magnifying glass.

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