Kaplan's ascendency at Meta coupled with the company's policy changes has solidified a political shift to the right, multiple sources said.
Since joining Meta in 2011 as a policy vice president, Kaplan has built a reputation as an executive who takes calculated risks even if it means upsetting some people internally, the people said.
In 2018, Kaplan made headlines for attending Brett Kavanaugh's highly contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearing as a personal friend. His appearance caused so much controversy that Meta was forced to address the matter in a statement, saying the "leadership team recognizes that they've made mistakes handling the events of the last week and we're grateful for all the feedback from our employees."