Meta President Nick Clegg Meets Union Ministers; Discusses WhatsApp Safety, Tech Innovations

Clegg also participated in an event titled 'Digital Transformation, an India story,' where he shared the stage with India's G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant. 

During this meeting with the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, he discussed the "safety of users on WhatsApp and open source Llama model."

Source : Twitter/Ashwini Vaishnaw

Nick Clegg, the President of Meta Global Affairs held a series of meetings with Union ministers in Delhi on Wednesday. During this meeting with the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, he discussed the "safety of users on WhatsApp and open source Llama model." While during the meeting with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Clegg deliberated about "India’s talent base, tech-innovations, growing spirit of enterprise as well as skilling efforts."

On Wednesday, Clegg also participated in an event titled 'Digital Transformation, an India story,' where he shared the stage with India's G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant. 

Speaking at the event, Clegg said India's digital public infrastructure plays on key aspects of scale and technology being centred around public interest, and is a marvellous model for what others can do as citizenship becomes a digitalised phenomenon globally.

According to PTI, Clegg spoke of how Meta and its apps like WhatsApp have leveraged various layers of India's digital public utilities including health (during COVID vaccination certificate downloads) and payments, and added, We are at the moment working with commerce layer ONDC to see what more we can do and to make sure card payments and merchant payments are facilitated.

He said that when it comes to DPI (digital public infrastructure) construct, it is India's scale and public interest philosophy of the country that has been so novel, he said. ...I think what is so clever about the construction of DPI is the tech itself...it is the scale and this very important philosophy highlighted not having government run it but making sure it has an open, interoperable layer. I very much like the way you have explained it is driven by public interest than the interest of the state, he said. 

The former deputy prime minister of the UK Nick Clegg is on a Trip to India. Earlier on July 24, he held meetings with policymakers and entrepreneurs in Mumbai. 

After meeting with Meta official the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a tweet said, "Good discussion with Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta, on collaboration for the safety of users on WhatsApp and open source Llama model."

Good discussion with Mr @nickclegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta, on collaboration for the safety of users on WhatsApp and open source Llama model. pic.twitter.com/CWC3GqmNx9

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 26, 2023

“Pleased to meet Sir @nickclegg, President, Global Affairs, @Meta. Good conversations around India’s talent base, tech-innovations, growing spirit of enterprise as well as skilling efforts. Invited Meta to strengthen the entrepreneurship as well as #DigitalIndia and #SkillIndia mission for empowering India’s population as per the vision of Hon. PM @narendramodi ji,” Pradhan tweeted after the meeting with Meta Global Affairs chief. The education minister also presented 'Pattachitra', a traditional handicraft of Odisha, to Clegg.

Many thanks for the opportunity. India has incredible talent and a huge appetite for technology. We look forward to working together to support India's digital transformation. @shivithukral @Natashajog https://t.co/oIyODPLPAn

— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) July 26, 2023

Clegg also held a meeting with the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar to discuss the "opportunity that India can unlock by adopting an open approach to technology."

Many thanks for the opportunity. It was a good discussion on the innovation opportunity that India can unlock by adopting an open approach to technology. @shivithukral @sunil_abraham https://t.co/PE9KPX7q63

— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) July 26, 2023

Earlier this month, Clegg announced Meta opening access to next-generation large language model Llama 2, in partnership with Microsoft.