“If the masters of Silicon Valley refuse to open up, the choice will be taken out of their hands.”
– Rt. Hon Sir Nick Clegg, Former UK Deputy Prime Minister, Former Leader of the UK Liberal Democrat Party, and Former President of Facebook Global Affairs.
Do you agree with Nick Clegg – the former UK politician and Mark Zuckerberg’s former right hand man at Meta?
In 2010, the UK General Election campaign was defined by one of its most popular catchphrases: “I agree with Nick.” This was a direct result of the UK’s first-ever televised leaders’ debates, which featured then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Tory challenger David Cameron, and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. Clegg’s polished performance in the debate sparked a wave of enthusiasm dubbed ‘Cleggmania’, with Brown and Cameron repeatedly finding themselves in agreement with him on air.
As many will know, Clegg later served as Deputy Prime Minister in the UK coalition Government of 2010-15, but lost his parliamentary seat in the 2017 election. The following year, he moved into the tech world, becoming Facebook’s (now Meta) President of Global Affairs. He held this position until 2025 and has now released a book that outlines his views on the internet and social media, and presents proposals on ‘How to Save the Internet’.
This edition of ByteWise Insights is not a book review, but for those interested in one, a good one can be found here. Despite those that believe he is still spinning for his former employer (and I’m sure there will be many readers who think this), Nick Clegg’s book is actually a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation about the internet’s future and how policymakers can address its many challenges – like trust and safety – while also harnessing the benefits for society and the global economy. This article summarises Clegg’s key proposals for ‘Saving the Internet’ and offers my analysis for readers who may not have the time or inclination to read the book themselves.
An Englishman in Silicon Valley
Clegg’s time in Silicon Valley shaped his perspective, and he remains a firm supporter of technology, social media, as well as the ad-funded internet business model. While he acknowledges the ‘Techlash’ against Big Tech, he disagrees with the view that social media is solely to blame for many of society’s problems. He points out that issues like political polarisation, content moderation, threats to democracy, and teen mental health are not just the fault of social media. Clegg argues that one of the core underlying problems is ‘deglobalisation’ – the world’s move towards national interests and away from international cooperation. This, he says, is at odds with the global nature of technology, which requires international governance and cross-border regulatory solutions.
Clegg admits that platforms like Meta have immense power but credits himself with helping the company become more responsive. However, he now advocates for a more radical approach, summarised by his call for Big Tech to ‘open up, let in the sunlight or be broken up.’ He outlines four key proposals to achieve this:
- Open Up the Books: Platforms must increase transparency to prove that they have ‘guardrails’ in place and can act in the public interest.
- Devolve Decision-Making Power: Clegg suggests expanding independent bodies, like Meta’s Oversight Board, to all platforms to depoliticise content moderation.
- Bring Users into the Process: He advocates for giving users greater control over their data, aligning with the goals of regulation like the GDPR.
- Build Trust: Clegg emphasises the need for a stronger relationship between tech leaders and policymakers – a relationship that has currently broken down – to foster proportionate and evidence-based legislation.
‘Make America Collaborate Again’
Clegg also argues that the current US strategy of trying to stifle Chinese technological growth could backfire. He believes it could lead to the internet splintering into multiple regional versions, to an increase in government censorship, and to creating a vacuum in international cooperation that China inevitably will seek to fill. To prevent this, he suggests that US leaders should focus on rallying global ‘techno-democracies’ like the European Union and India. By uniting around shared principles, these nations can work together to protect the internet’s open and democratic nature. He also advocates for sharing AI technology and insights rather than facilitating ‘AI sovereignty’ among individual nations, as well as establishing global standards for the responsible deployment of AI, and co-operation frameworks on security. This is all underpinned by Clegg’s ‘deal to Save the Internet’…
A New Deal: An Open Internet Treaty and Digital Democracies Alliance
The centre-piece of Clegg’s thinking is a new international treaty to protect the free flow of data between signatory countries. This treaty would be based on Article 19 of the UN’s Universal Charter of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression. He notes that while this is similar to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the two are not identical, and this difference could present challenges.
He believes a new global alliance of leading digital democratic nations, led by the US, should establish the treaty to govern technology and data. This ‘technological bloc’ would start with countries like the US, the EU, Japan, the UK, India, and South Korea, bypassing older institutions like the UN that operate under outdated rules for the digital world. Acting as like a new ‘Bretton Woods’ for the 21st century, the alliance would set new standards and spur significant investment in AI infrastructure, such as data centres. The UK and US recently announced a ‘Technology Prosperity Deal’, a move that some see as a sign of collaboration. However, the timing of the announcement to coincide with President Trump’s mid-September 2025 state visit led to Clegg calling the deal “sloppy seconds from Silicon Valley” to underscore his view that the UK is riding on the US’s ‘coattails’.
But what about Advertising?
One surprising omission in the book is the limited discussion about advertising, especially given its central role in Meta’s business model. Clegg himself points out that some US policymakers don’t fully grasp how the platform is funded. But ‘Platform Power’ when it comes to advertising is not discussed. Given that many major advertisers are global, the industry’s role in driving international cooperation on standards is significant. As I’ve written about before, the ‘purchasing power’ of advertisers can be a powerful force for change and could supplement his thinking as financial ‘glue’ to bind any new treaty or deal together. The absence of a deeper analysis on this topic might be due to the chilling effect of lawsuits, such as those initiated by Elon Musk, which is making advertisers hesitant to engage in public advocacy or cooperation.
So then, Do You Agree with Nick?
The book’s reception has been mixed, with some critics, like the London Times, offering a particularly harsh assessment, calling it “cringeworthy, derivative and ill-informed.” [N.B., subscription required] This seems a bit harsh, particularly the claim of being ill-informed. It’s difficult to believe someone who has worked at the highest levels of a major tech company could be truly ill-informed on the subject. A more plausible critique might be that he is detached or trapped in an ‘Ivory Tower’, but not that he lacks knowledge. The Financial Times welcomes his ideas but concludes that it’s not sure where “the corporate spinner ends and the independent thinker begins.”
However, as Clegg himself acknowledges in the book, the political and logistical hurdles are immense. The idea of getting major global powers with competing economic and political interests to agree on common standards is a monumental, if not Herculean, task. It’s a classic case of an idea being sound in theory but incredibly difficult to implement in practice. In any case, the window for this kind of fundamental change is narrow. Without a unified, multilateral approach, the most likely outcome – as Clegg predicts – is a splintered internet with fragmented rules and regulations that vary from country to country. That might work for Meta and other platforms and, whether Clegg is living in an Ivory Tower or not, the current trajectory is clearly a real problem for the rest of us.
Nick Stringer is a prominent global technology, public policy, and regulatory affairs adviser, specialising in privacy and brand safety. He is helping organisations navigate the complex digital policy and regulatory landscape. Nick’s extensive experience includes serving as Director of Regulatory Affairs at the UK Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB UK) and as VP of International Affairs at the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG). Follow him for all his ‘ByteWise Insights’ on LinkedIn, X, Medium, Threads, Substack or BlueSky.
