Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of Global Affairs, announced his resignation in a tweet on January 2, 2025. Since joining Meta in 2018, Clegg has played a key role in shaping the company’s approach to navigating societal pressures and evolving regulations in the tech sector.

“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,” Clegg shared in his statement. His tenure saw Meta addressing contentious issues like content moderation and responding to political scrutiny.

Clegg’s replacement, Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican executive at Meta, signals a potential shift in the company’s political strategy. “Kaplan is clearly the right person for the right job at the right time,” Clegg noted in his announcement. This transition comes just weeks before Donald Trump assumes office for his second term as U.S. president.

Meta has faced criticism from Republican leaders, who alleged bias in the company’s content moderation policies. In response, Meta recently removed restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and has been engaging more actively with conservative policymakers.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also made overtures to the incoming administration. In December, he donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund and joined other tech leaders, including Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook, in meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Kaplan’s appointment appears to align with Meta’s broader efforts to ease tensions with conservatives and recalibrate its policies in the face of ongoing scrutiny. This high-profile leadership change marks a pivotal moment for the company as it seeks to balance its influence amid shifting political landscapes.

TECHCRUNCH