Sir Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister turned Meta executive, has launched a stark critique of his former industry, calling for significantly tougher regulation of major technology firms. He described social media as a "poisoned chalice" and labelled the rise of AI-generated content online a "negative development."
A Shift in Tone from Silicon Valley Insider
The remarks, made during an evidence session for the cross-party Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion on Wednesday 14 January 2026, mark a notable shift from the former head of global affairs at Meta. Sir Nick, who stepped down from his role at the tech giant in January 2025, warned that engagement with algorithmically served, automated content is "much worse, particularly for younger people’s mental health" than interacting with other humans online.
He specifically targeted the "TikTokification" of platforms like Instagram, which is owned by Meta. He argued users are now "bombarded" by short-form videos "plucked from the deepest, darkest recesses of the internet" by sophisticated AI systems designed solely to capture attention.
The End of 'Social' Media?
"The recent advent of generative AI is doing something very, very profound, and in my view, potentially actually very negative when it comes to social media," Sir Nick told the commission, chaired by former Conservative home secretary Sir Sajid Javid and former Labour MP Jon Cruddas. "It means, actually, these apps are no longer social at all."
He contrasted the current landscape with the human-centric platform he joined in 2018, stating the experience is now "increasingly automated" where people passively receive synthetic, algorithmically recommended content. "I think that is, in general terms, a negative development," he concluded, citing academic evidence on the harms of passive consumption.
Call for Transparency and Regulatory Action
Sir Nick advocated for forceful regulatory intervention, stating: "If I was a regulator or actually in politics... I would be way tougher with the big companies on the transparency that they must provide on these algorithmic systems." This stance appears at odds with his previous position; in December 2024 he criticised "needless regulatory complexity" in the EU that hindered Meta's AI training plans.
While acknowledging the "democratising" power of social media for individuals and small businesses, he highlighted the "dramatic, excessive centralisation and aggregation of power" in the hands of a small number of unelected executives running "west coast and increasingly Chinese-based global behemoths."
The commission's session, the fifth of nine, was established to examine community divisions following the 2024 summer riots. Its findings are expected in a report later this year.
The intervention comes amid heightened UK scrutiny of tech platforms. Ofcom has launched an investigation into reports that Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot on X was being used to create deepfake sexual imagery. Subsequently, the government is bringing forward a law to criminalise the creation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes.
