Nick Clegg, Meta’s former policy chief and ex-leader of the U.K.’s Liberal Democrats, has offered a nuanced take on Silicon Valley as he promotes his forthcoming book, How to Save the Internet.
Unlike other insider memoirs, Clegg’s book avoids sensationalism or outright condemnation. In an interview with The Guardian, he expressed continued belief in the value of social media, emphasizing its role in connecting billions of people worldwide. He also defended Meta’s leadership, noting that he would not have worked with Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sandberg if he believed the harsher portrayals of them were true.
However, Clegg didn’t hold back in describing the cultural atmosphere of Silicon Valley. He called it “cloyingly conformist,” criticizing the uniformity in lifestyle choices, from clothing to cars to entertainment. He also voiced his discomfort with the tech world’s fixation on masculinity, describing it as “a deeply unattractive combination of machismo and self-pity.”
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With How to Save the Internet, Clegg positions himself as a defender of social media’s global benefits while offering a sharp critique of the culture that dominates the industry’s epicenter.
