Calamity Clegg’s Facebook clanger
He says he’s ‘extremely relieved’ social media wasn’t around when he was younger... even though he’s Zuckerberg’s vice president!
HE is one of the most highprofile figures in Silicon Valley – with a role as a Facebook executive and a £7million mansion to boot.
But Sir Nick Clegg has said he is ‘extremely relieved’ social media wasn’t around when he was young – as it could have stood in the way of his success.
The former deputy prime minister, 54, said he would never have made it ‘one step’ in public life if social media had been around to record his ‘numerous very, very bad misdemeanours’ in his teens.
And Sir Nick, who is now vice-president for global affairs and communications at Facebook parent company Meta, admitted that social media had a ‘dark side’ and that it was best to use it in moderation.
The tech giant has come under intense scrutiny recently after a whistleblower released internal documents suggesting it was aware its algorithms were fuelling hate and worsening teenagers’ mental health.
‘Like anything, it’s got a dark side’
Having been accused of keeping the studies secret, several of the company’s bosses – including chief executive Mark Zuckerberg – have spoken out to deny the allegations.
Now in a wide-ranging interview with the Financial Times, Sir Nick has said that he is a keen user of Meta-owned WhatsApp – but logs onto Facebook and Instagram far less.
Yet he was keen to highlight the positive impact social media could have, explaining how he had seen it help his own children – aged 12, 17, and 19 – stay connected with people during lockdown.
‘Particularly during the pandemic, the way I see that my kids have maintained friendships and, in an imperfect fashion, their education, and just generally they’re superengaged in the world outside,’ he said. ‘Like anything, you’ve got to use [social media] in moderation. Like anything, it’s got a dark side.’
Sir Nick, who currently lives in the Silicon Valley neighbourhood of Lindenwood and drives a second-hand Tesla, said that his ‘heart belongs’ in Europe.
And he insisted that he wasn’t a ‘wildly extravagant guy’, adding: ‘We live a comfortable life, but we don’t live a Beverly Hills life – at least I don’t think we do.’
He would not reveal his salary – simply saying that he was ‘well-paid’ – however a more junior position in his team is being recruited on an annual wage of £1.9million.
Yet the former Liberal Democrat leader, who was the Sheffield Hallam MP from 2005 to 2017, said that his ‘heart still lies in politics’. He added: ‘There was a considerable amount of organ rejection. I would have loved to be British prime minister. But I hit the buffers...
‘I couldn’t get my head round the idea that I was going to spend the next 20, 30 years possibly pontificating to absolutely no impact whatsoever, sitting on a few boards making ponderous observations, maybe lecturing here and there, popping up on the Today Programme as a ghost from the past. I thought, “I’ve got far too much energy for that.”’
When asked about his antiestablishment reputation during his political career, he was quick to take a pot shot at the current situation, saying: ‘I think the British political establishment is in deep trouble. I think it’s an unreformed set of institutions which are really holding the country back.’
Sir Nick, who took up his current role in 2018, has played a pivotal part in several highprofile decisions including banning Donald Trump after the US Capitol riots in January.
Yet Facebook has been rocked by controversy this year after former employee Frances Haugen released a series of damning internal reports – which some believe contributed to the rebranding.