WASHINGTON - Mark Zuckerberg likes Nick Clegg. The former UK deputy prime minister will lead global affairs and communications at the $450 billion Facebook. Clegg’s anti-Brexit stance and European Union background could help tackle mounting troubles in Brussels. But he’s an odd choice to deal with the social network’s rumbling problems in Washington.

A potential fine of up to $1.6 billion over a data breach is just the latest headache for Facebook across the Atlantic. More broadly, European regulators are examining closely whether tech and social-media giants like Facebook are harming competition – and if so, what to do about it.

Clegg has pro-Europe chops, as a vocal opponent of Britain leaving the EU and a former commission official and member of the European parliament. It doesn’t hurt that he speaks German, French, Dutch and Spanish. That makes him a useful weapon for that battle.

Yet Facebook needs to fight on a second front, too. A recent hack that affected 30 million Facebook accounts gave the U.S. Congress another reason to hold hearings. Zuckerberg, the chief executive, and his deputy, Sheryl Sandberg, had to testify this year to discuss how Facebook’s platform was misused during the 2016 presidential campaign. Republicans are angry about alleged bias, while agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice are probing the company, too.

The scrutiny will surely intensify if the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections. In addition to bills enhancing consumer privacy that would affect Zuckerberg’s firm, the party is also considering ways to strengthen antitrust measures. The Freedom From Facebook campaign, backed by liberal groups, is urging policymakers to break up the company.

While Facebook has Joel Kaplan, former White House deputy chief of staff, leading its D.C. presence, it’s still not clear the Silicon Valley head office fully understands how far its political star has fallen. Clegg, who will be Kaplan’s boss, said in a post that Facebook is at the heart of complex social issues, even the integrity of the democratic process. It’s an honest assessment. Whether that will help him navigate Washington’s lobbying and lawmaking machines successfully on Facebook’s behalf is another question.

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CONTEXT NEWS

- Facebook said on Oct. 19 it had hired Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister, as vice president of global affairs and communications. Clegg replaces Elliot Schrage, who in June said he would leave Facebook. Clegg will move to California next year.

- “Our company is on a critical journey,” Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote in a Facebook post. “The challenges we face are serious and clear and now more than ever we need new perspectives to help us though this time of change ... His experience and ability to work through complex issues will be invaluable in the years to come.”

- In a Facebook post, Clegg said he has been talking to Sandberg and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg over the last few months about joining the firm. “I have been struck by their recognition that the company is on a journey which brings new responsibilities not only to the users of Facebook’s apps but to society at large,” he said. “I hope I will be able to play a role in helping to navigate that journey.”

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(Editing by Richard Beales and Martin Langfield) ((gina.chon@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: gina.chon.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))