Meta’s Asia policy chief Simon Milner to exit as regulatory challenges mount
The company is increasing its focus on artificial intelligence at a time of heightened scrutiny on its core platforms
[SINGAPORE] Meta Platforms is losing its most senior public policy executive in the Asia-Pacific at a time when the company faces several regulatory challenges in the region and beyond.
Simon Milner, who is based in Singapore and has been with Meta since 2012, said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday (Jan 20) that he will leave the company in the first half of the year to retire from full-time work. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company is increasing its focus on artificial intelligence at a time of heightened scrutiny on its core platforms, exemplified by Australia’s recent decision to restrict children’s access to social media.
In his role, Milner leads staff in countries including China, India, and Japan, according to his LinkedIn profile. Earlier, he was head of policy for the UK and Ireland before becoming a director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“I’ll be sticking around for a few more months to help determine my successor and ensure they are well placed to lead the APAC Policy team,” Milner said in his LinkedIn post.
Public policy staff typically advise companies on regulatory issues and liaise with governments. The Asia-Pacific region is key to Meta because of its many populous, youthful markets that can support the social media giant’s growth.
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Meta has faced criticism in places such as Taiwan and Japan over rampant financial scams on its Facebook platform. Major Taiwanese banks last year pulled their advertising from Facebook amid the proliferation of ads assuming the identities of banks, while Japanese lawmakers demanded Meta act more quickly to address ads featuring celebrity images designed to swindle users.
In an attempt to protect young people from online harms, Australia last month implemented a landmark ban on children under 16 accessing social media platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. Countries including Indonesia and Malaysia have said they have been inspired to adopt similar measures.
Meta has said it has implemented many safety features for young people on its services over the years. BLOOMBERG
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