Meta policy chief Joel Kaplan to leave after 15 years

The significance here is less about the departure itself than about how Meta is absorbing it: folding external affairs into the portfolio of a sitting president and vice chair rather than naming a dedicated successor. That consolidation signals policy work is being treated as a leadership-level function, not a standalone shop — a notable shift for a company whose regulatory exposure spans multiple jurisdictions. Kaplan's exit leaves without a stated timeline, which is worth noting. The open question is whether this centralization holds as scrutiny of platform policy intensifies.