Former Meta Executive Nick Clegg Offers Reserved Critique of Silicon Valley’s ‘Stifling Conformity’

Nick Clegg, the former policy chief of Meta, is approaching the launch of his new book, “How to Save the Internet,” with careful consideration.

Unlike many other memoirs from Meta employees, “How to Save the Internet” refrains from being a sensational exposé or a severe critique. In a conversation with the Guardian, Clegg, a former leader of the U.K.’s Liberal Democrats, expertly distances himself from the tech giant while still acknowledging his past role there.

“I truly believe that, despite its shortcomings, social media has allowed billions to … communicate in ways never seen before,” he stated, adding that he wouldn’t have joined Meta “if I thought Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sandberg were the monsters that others portray them to be.”

However, he provided thought-provoking insights into Silicon Valley, calling it a “cloyingly conformist” space where “everyone wears the same clothes, drives the same cars, listens to the same podcasts, and follows the same trends.”

Clegg also expressed perplexity over the industry’s increasing obsession with masculinity, remarking, “I could never understand this unpleasant mix of machismo and self-pity.”