Nick Clegg to step down from Meta role – with prominent Republican

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.

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…