Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg has been hired by Mark Zuckerberg to head up his global affairs team after ‘months of wooing’ by the social network’s founder, it was revealed today.
The Liberal Democrat, who lost his Sheffield Hallam seat to Labour last year, has been spending most of his time campaigning for a second EU referendum.
Famously has also been excoriating in his criticism of the company’s paltry UK tax bills but will now be lobbying on its behalf on the same issue and its controversial data policies.
He will start working for Facebook‘s global affairs and communications team in London in the coming weeks after Mr Zuckerberg looked to him for help with its ailing reputation.
Sir Nick, his Spanish wife Miriam, a partner at law firm Dechert, and their children will then move to California, probably early next year.
Sir Nick Clegg, pictured at the Pink News Awards on Wednesday, will be joining Facebook as a PR executive after being recruited by Mark Zuckerberg
Sir Nick and his Spanish wife Miriam will be heading to Silicon Valley in the coming months with their children
He will take over from executive Elliot Schrage, who announced he would leave Facebook after a decade in June, according to the Financial Times.
Facebook has been rocked by scandal after scandal and Mark Zuckerberk is looking to Nick Clegg for help
The social network has been rocked recent data scandals where millions of accounts were compromised.
Mark Zuckerberg had to give a number of humbling apologies this year and it is understood he personally pursued Sir Nick for the job.
Before his career in politics the ex-Mp worked in Brussels and the Facebook billionaire believes he can build bridges with the EU.
He will also work on data protection issues – which Facebook has faced lots of in recent times – and more regulation across the globe.
In a statement on his Facebook Page, Sir Nick said the move was ‘an exciting new adventure’ and leaving before Brexit would be ‘a wrench’.
He said: ‘Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Oculus and Instagram are at the heart of so many people’s everyday lives – but also at the heart of some of the most complex and difficult questions we face as a society: the privacy of the individual; the integrity of our democratic process; the tensions between local cultures and the global internet; the balance between free speech and prohibited content; the power and concerns around artificial intelligence; and the well-being of our children.
‘I believe that Facebook must continue to play a role in finding answers to those questions – not by acting alone in Silicon Valley, but by working with people, organisations, governments and regulators around the world to ensure that technology is a force for good.
‘I am looking forward to being part of this endeavour.’
The ex-Mp will be working at Facebook’s HQ in Menlo Park, California, from the new year
The company is already facing tough questions over its treatment of customers.
Mr Zuckerberg, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, has faced a barrage of criticism over Facebook’s privacy policies.
Under his stewardship Facebook has been accused of allowing Russians to interfere in the US election and spread ‘fake news’.
Earlier this year it emerged that the personal information of 87million Facebook users had been harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a data company that used the information to help Donald Trump win the US presidency.
Mr Zuckerberg was dragged before Congress to testify about its privacy policies in April.
Awkward and at times evasive, the once time Silicon Valley darling spent two days stammering his way through the hearings.
He was ridiculed online for everything from this clammy appearance to ill-fitting suit, and was even caught using a booster seat to make himself look taller than his 5ft 7in.
The UK’s information commissioner’s office has said it intends to fine Facebook about £500,000 over what happened – the maximum penalty.
A Congressional investigation then found that agents from Russia and other countries had been posting fake political adverts on Facebook since at least 2016.
Facebook still faces investigation in the US from the Federal Trade Commission and the Security Exchange Commission.
Last month the social media giant admitted that a security flaw in its systems had allowed criminals to break in and effectively take control of millions more profiles.
The hack potentially gave the cyber-attackers access to vast amounts of personal data, including people’s addresses, email accounts and even bank details.
They may also have been able to access intimate family photographs, along with details of users’ personal lives, friends and hobbies. All of this information would potentially be a goldmine for fraudsters. It is one of the biggest cyber-hacks ever recorded.
A group of major Facebook investors have even called for Mr Zuckerberg to be ousted as chairman after the business lurched from crisis to crisis.
The backlash comes after the tech giant’s billionaire founder, who is also chief executive, was put on the back foot by a series of security and privacy scandals which have subjected the company to intense public scrutiny over its use of user data.
Those behind the proposal to remove Zuckerberg and make the role of chairman an independent position, include New York City’s pension fund and Trillium Asset Management.
Scott Stringer, manager of the £122bn New York fund, said: ‘An independent chair is essential to moving forward from this mess.’
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