Meta is currently experimenting with a new subscription service that would enable users of Facebook and Instagram to pay for a verified account.
On Sunday, the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, shared on his social media accounts the announcement of “Meta Verified.” Testing of this feature will commence in New Zealand and Australia this week, with plans for further expansion to other countries in the near future.
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By paying $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 per month on Apple and Android operating systems, Meta will utilize government identification to authenticate a user’s account and provide it with a blue badge. Earlier, Meta’s blue badges were free and restricted to distinguished public figures or businesses.
As per Meta’s statement, subscribers will also receive added safeguarding against account impersonation and direct access to customer support.
Zuckerberg stated in his message, “The objective of this new feature is to enhance authenticity and security across our services.”
Meta has confirmed that individuals who were already verified, including public figures, will not be impacted by this change. Meta Verified is targeted at influencers and other business users of social media who may not be prominent public figures.
Meta is following Twitter’s lead by introducing a subscription service. In late 2021, Twitter started offering Twitter Blue, which verifies a user’s account with a blue checkmark and charges them $8 per month.
