Meta appoints Joel Kaplan as Chief Global Affairs Officer, replacing Nick Clegg, who is leaving the company; Kaplan is Meta's most prominent Republican
www.semafor.com/article/01/0... [embedded post] Sam Jeffers / @worklesshard : Seems a bit backward for Clegg to leave now. Nothing will happen in the US for years, while EU DSA enforcement will gather pace. — www.semafor.com/article/01/0... Alexander Howard / @digiphile : In other news, Nick Clegg is leaving Meta. Joel Kaplan will be Meta's new global affairs officer. His record & politics suggest there is little reason to expect Kaplan to hold the line should Trump engage in unconstitutional & authoritarian acts again on office. [image] Michael Veale / @michae.lv : Nick Clegg's departure from Meta almost like a changing of the guards from a European lobbying focus to a US one. www.semafor.com/article/01/0... Ben Ansell / @benansell : One thing both the hiring of Clegg and now his replacement tells you is that large social media companies' main strategic intangible asset is government relations. [embedded post] Jay Nakrani / @jaynakrani : Companies align themselves with whoever is in power. Morals be damned — preserve shareholder value gravy train at all cost, haha! [embedded post] Michael Colborne / @colborne : just as Facebook is already becoming an increasingly useless platform, with plans for fake AI profiles which I'm sure we'll all really enjoy in between getting absolute garbage recommendations and even more opaque algorithmic nonsense — www.semafor.com/article/01/0... Marietje Schaake / @marietjeschaake : Well well, Facebook/Meta ready to take a MAGA turn. Clegg out, Kaplan in ↘️https://www.semafor.com/ article/01/02/2025/meta-will-appoint- joel-kaplan-to-lead-global-policy-team- replacing-nick-clegg Mark Chadbourn / @chadbourn : He also stopped Zuckerberg from closing down Facebook groups that were alleged to have circulated fake news, arguing that doing so would disproportionately target conservatives. — 3/3 Mark Chadbourn / @chadbourn : Kaplan was also a big booster of RW sites Breitbart News and The Daily Caller in Meta and advocated for changes in Facebook's algorithm to promote the interests of right-wing publications. 2/3 James Ball / @jamesrball.com : Cleggxit at Meta before Trump term two... www.semafor.com/article/01/0... M.G. Siegler / @mgsiegler.com : Why not replace him with Don Jr.? “Go Direct”, as it were. [embedded post] @zippola71 : Which includes Threads ... [embedded post] Threads: Alexander B. Howard / @digiphile : As VP, Kaplan obstructed moderation of conservative content, stymied rollout of products & features that would reduce polarization or curb the spread of lies, intervened on behalf of popular conservative influencers & politicians who violated Facebook rules, & counseled @zuck to remain silent when Trump incited hatred, xenophobia, offline violence, & finally an insurrection. … Kara Swisher / @karaswisher : I am not sure if he is trolling Kaplan here or not: “He is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time!” I say yes, because he is British after all. In all seriousness, this is an obvious and also depressing move by Zuckerberg. Kara Swisher / @karaswisher : It's actually it's the exact “right” time — @nickclegg is not nearly Trumpy enough for Meta anymore like Kavanaugh pal Joel Kaplan is. Btw that's a compliment from me, Nick. See you on the other side! Ryan Mac / @mac_ryan_ : I guess someone got tired of vetting CEO posts about hydrofoils — RE: https://www.threads.net/... X: Nick Clegg / @nickclegg : 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! I am proud of the work I have been able to do leading and supporting teams across the company to ensure innovation can go hand in hand with increased transparency and accountability, and with new forms of governance. 1/4 Nick Clegg / @nickclegg : And I am simply thrilled that my deputy, Joel Kaplan, will now become Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer. Over the years that we have worked together, we have become good friends as well as close colleagues - I have laughed with, as well as learned from, Joel in equal measure. @libsoftiktok : Wow! Meta to replace Liberal head of Global Policy Nick Clegg with Republican Joel Kaplan. Joel reportedly has been one of the most forceful voices inside Meta fighting against censorship. This is huge. [image] John Bailey / @john_bailey : Congratulations to Joel Kaplan on his appointment as Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer! With decades of experience spanning his time at Meta, the White House, and OMB, Joel is uniquely qualified to lead on both domestic and international issues. His leadership comes at a Tom Harwood / @tomhfh : Nick Clegg leaving meta shows American big tech is giving up on the EU. Clegg was an inspired appointment by Zuckerberg seven years ago as a classically liberal Brit who could act as a bridge between California and Brussels tempering the spiteful European regulatory instinct. Charlie Kirk / @charliekirk11 : Very promising move here. Known Joel Kaplan for years. He's as smart as they come and will be advocate for more free speech on the platform. Make no mistake, this is a great development at META. [image] Zamaan Qureshi / @zamaan_qureshi : Loyalty to Zuckerberg or close ties to Trump world? Either way, Kaplan taking over from Clegg is a shakeup at Meta and nice timing just as Big Tech gets cozy with the White House. Zuckerberg firming up his trusted lieutenants to avert regulation seems like the move. @nickclegg👋🏾 [image] Ben Dreyfuss / @bendreyfuss : It's hard for people to understand how big Facebook is. It is many times bigger than twitter, a platform that doesn't really matter but we all whine about constantly. Ben Dreyfuss / @bendreyfuss : Joel Kaplan is the guy who sort of indirectly ruined by journalism career by getting so annoyed with Mother Jones' virality that he pushed for algorithmic changes to stomp it out, which I only learned about from the presentation getting leaked in 2020. I was quite mad at the time but I have a pretty evolved view of it now. It wasn't good what I was doing. Ben Dreyfuss / @bendreyfuss : I've known lots of people at FB and invariably they have all been decent nice folks who want to do their jobs well, but it's hard to know exactly what do to when you're a platform that big and in such a unique situation. Ben Dreyfuss / @bendreyfuss : I'm pretty sure I'm on the short list of people who very directly and explicitly have been personally harmed by intentional FB policy changes, but also is an inveterate defender of the company, which I think doesn't deserve anything close to the hate it gets. Ben Dreyfuss / @bendreyfuss : I am yet to read any reporting that makes me believe Facebook has ever acted with intentional malicious. And the simple fact is lots of people constantly accuse them of that. But in reality I just think it's hard to run that platform and it's hard to get it right. Peter Kafka / @pkafka : There are words after the headline. You should definitely read them! But also the headline is the headline: “Mark Zuckerberg preps for Trump 2.0 by boosting an in-house Republican.” Rat King / @mikeisaac : also this news dropped literally as i was in the dentist chair getting an implant so it was maybe the worst “welcome back to work in 2025” day yet https://www.nytimes.com/... Zoe Kleinman / @zsk : This is a huge change at the top of the tech giant Meta and it's hard not to see it as political. Sir Nick Clegg, a former liberal politician in the UK, is being replaced by his own deputy, the Republican Joel Kaplan. Zuckerberg is manoeuvring fast ahead of Trump inauguration in a few weeks. Peter J. Hasson / @peterjhasson : Kaplan is friends with Kavanaugh and sat behind him during his confirmation hearing. Facebook employees raged at him over it and tried to get him fired. He survived and will now be more powerful than ever. @shehabkhan : The political significance of this is huge. Clegg had major influence at Meta/Facebook and he's being replaced by Joel Kaplan, a Republican who is well regarded among the Trump administration. Carole Cadwalladr / @carolecadwalla : So Clegg is out. And Zuck goes all in on Trump. Top Facebook PR flak now is guy who helped Kavanaugh through his sexual assault hearing. Please don't ever forget Clegg's role in this. He's an enabling reputation launderer who will always carry the stink [video] Jason Kint / @jason_kint : On Kaplan promotion, Facebook's securities lawsuits (SCOTUS heard/denied on Nov 6th) have heated up in the last few months (there is a related case scheduled for April trial in Delaware Chancery). These suits relate to allegations on handling of Cambridge Analytica scandal. 1/3 [image] Jason Kint / @jason_kint : well done, andy stone. pls add the context of the day after US elections (nov 6th - SCOTUS rejected facebook's appeal in cover-up scandal) and depos of board members underway in delaware chancery. imho, loyalty to zuckerberg may be more important than political party on this. Rat King / @mikeisaac : (kaplan has been at Meta since 2011 when it was still Facebook) Rat King / @mikeisaac : makes sense. Kaplan a longtime republican operative, Deputy Chief of Staff under GWB, clerked for Scalia, tight with Ted Cruz Meta squaring off for four years of Trump and Kaplan is in with all of them Liz Hoffman / @lizrhoffman : Nick Clegg is leaving Meta, replaced by the company's most prominent Republican, Joel Kaplan. Feels very sign-of-the-times. Scoop on @semafor https://www.semafor.com/... Nick Clegg / @nickclegg : My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between “big tech” and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector. I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics - worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe. 2/4 Rat King / @mikeisaac : Nick Clegg leaving meta as Joel Kaplan, longtime republican, takes over as global head of policy Ben Smith / @semaforben : News: Nick Clegg leaving Meta's top policy job, replaced by Republican Joel Kaplan https://www.semafor.com/... Tom Coates / @tomcoates : Oh sure, this seems fine. You have to feel for Nick Clegg though, right? Right? Right?! Anyone? Ben Smith / @semaforben : Big scoop on DC business and policy, and a big sign of the times @lizrhoffman @ReedAlbergotti @GinaChon https://www.semafor.com/... LinkedIn: Owen West : Congrats Harvard '91 Marine Joel Kaplan (one of 11). For two decades, labelling senior Facebook/Meta officials as Democrats was not newsworthy. … Forums: r/neoliberal : Meta will appoint Republican Joel Kaplan to lead global policy team, as Nick Clegg steps down | Semafor r/ukpolitics : Nick Clegg has stepped down as President of Global Policy at Meta BeauHD / Slashdot : Nick Clegg Is Leaving Meta After 7 Years Overseeing Its Policy Decisions