Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, has announced Meta Verified, a new service that’ll see both Facebook and Instagram users pay for verification badges on the respective social media platforms.
In a blog post, the company wrote that Meta Verified is “a subscription bundle on Instagram and Facebook that includes a verified badge that authenticates your account with government ID, proactive account protection, access to account support, and increased visibility and reach.”
Adding that “Some of the top requests we get from creators are for broader access to verification and account support,” as well as more features that’ll increase user visibility and reach.
Twitter CEO and Tesla co-founder Elon Musk faced heavy criticism after launching Twitter Blue in late December last year, with some users threatening to abandon the platform.
Verified users
However, while some believe that Meta is currently emulating Twitter by making users pay to keep or get the verification badge, the metaverse company was quick to debunk the notion when it wrote, “Since last year, we’ve been thinking about how to unlock access to these features through a paid offering.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg first took to Facebook to share the news when he wrote, “Good morning and new product announcement: this week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified – a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support. This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
Beta test on the way
Zuckerberg also added that the company will launch Meta Verified service with “a gradual test in Australia and New Zealand later this week to learn what’s most valuable,” and aims to make the service available “in more countries soon.”
Facebook and Instagram accounts that meet the minimum activity requirements will pay $11.99/month on the web or $14.99/month on iOS.
Twitter introduced new and improved features to the platform with Twitter Blue. While Meta’s new verification service aims to protect users from impersonation, the uniqueness of being a celebrity or public figure on social media is about to be quenched.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
