In a move that has ignited controversy on both sides of the Atlantic, Nick Clegg, the former UK Deputy Prime Minister turned Meta President of Global Affairs, has penned a new book: 'How to Save the Internet'. The Guardian's review delivers a searing critique, framing the work not as a neutral guide but as a sophisticated defence of the very Silicon Valley giants he now represents.
From Westminster to Silicon Valley: A Political Defector's Manifesto
The review immediately highlights the central paradox of Clegg's position. Once a prominent Liberal Democrat leader, he is now a top executive at one of the world's most powerful tech conglomerates. His book, therefore, is viewed through a lens of deep scepticism. The central thesis—that the internet is under threat from well-intentioned but misguided regulators—is seen as a direct reflection of Meta's corporate ideology.
The Four Horsemen of the Digital Apocalypse
Clegg identifies four primary dangers poised to strangle the open web:
- Overzealous Regulation: He argues that a patchwork of national rules, from the EU's Digital Services Act to potential US laws, risks balkanising the global internet.
- Authoritarian Control: The model of internet governance practised by nations like China and Russia, which seeks to wall off and monitor its digital citizens.
- Tech Nostalgia: A misplaced yearning for the early, simpler days of the web, which Clegg claims is an unrealistic barrier to progress.
- Corporate Risk-Aversion: He warns that fear of public outcry and regulatory punishment is causing tech firms to become overly cautious, stifling innovation.
A Polished Defence or Corporate Propaganda?
The Guardian's review pulls no punches in analysing Clegg's arguments. It acknowledges his characteristically smooth, diplomatic prose but suggests it serves to gloss over the immense power and frequent failings of his employer. The book is criticised for offering:
- A skewed narrative: It places disproportionate blame on regulators and lawmakers while downplaying the role of platforms like Facebook in spreading misinformation, eroding privacy, and harming mental health.
- Vague solutions: The call for a new, vague 'middle way' is seen as lacking the concrete, actionable detail needed to address the internet's very real problems.
- A predictable agenda: The arguments align perfectly with Meta's lobbying efforts against increased regulation and antitrust actions.
The Verdict: Spinning Silicon Valley?
The ultimate conclusion of the review is stark. Clegg's book is presented less as a genuine handbook for salvation and more as a piece of strategic public relations—an attempt to put an intellectual, polished veneer on Silicon Valley's resistance to accountability. It questions whether the man once seen as a potential saviour of British politics has now become the chief apologist for Big Tech, using his political credibility to defend a status quo that benefits his paymasters.
The piece leaves the reader with a pressing question: Is Nick Clegg trying to save the internet, or is he simply trying to save Silicon Valley from itself?
