Meta's global affairs officer Joel Kaplan to leave company after 15 years

Meta Platforms' chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan will leave the company next year after 15 years there, a spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday.

President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick will add external affairs to her portfolio, the spokesperson said.

* The move comes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections


* McCormick was part of the Donald Trump administration during his first stint as US president

* Kaplan was elevated to Meta's top policy role in January last year, as the social media giant rolled back US fact-checking, ended diversity initiatives and sought closer ties with Trump

* A longtime Republican strategist, Kaplan served as deputy chief of staff for policy in the administration of George W. Bush

* Meta is among the tech companies facing questions over AI's impacts, as concerns mount over safety and the industry's growing footprint among local communities

* Trump recently said tech executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, had agreed to establish voluntary AI standards