Meta is testing a subscription service which will allow Instagram and Facebook users to pay to get verified, Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram Sunday.
“Meta Verified” will start at $11.99 a month on the web or $14.99 a month on iOS, and the company will begin releasing it in Australia and New Zealand this week and “more countries soon.”
The service also comes with other perks: extra protection from impersonation accounts and direct access to customer support.
To avoid fake accounts, customers who want to get the blue badge would need to provide a government ID which matches their profile name and picture. Users must also be above 18 to be eligible.
“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” Zuckerberg wrote in an Instagram broadcast channel.
In a statement, Meta clarified there will be no changes to accounts that are already verified. Verification was previously for users who are “authentic and notable.”
“We are evolving the meaning of the blue badge to focus on authenticity so we can expand verification access to more people,” a Meta spokesperson said. “We will display follower count in more places so people can distinguish which accounts are notable public figures among accounts that share the same name.”
Meta joins other platforms, like Discord, Reddit and YouTube, who have their own subscription-based models.
Twitter relaunched its own verification subscription service, Twitter Blue, in December, after an onset of fake “verified” accounts forced it to pull the feature. The check mark options now have different colors to differentiate between accounts: gold checks for companies, gray checks for government entities and other organizations, and blue checks for individuals, whether or not they are celebrities.
Twitter Blue costs $11 a month for iOS and Android subscribers, part of owner Elon Musk’s attempt to raise its subscriptions business after buying the platform for $44 billion.
Latest Stories
-
EPA says lead-based paints are dangerous to health, calls for safer alternatives
2 hours -
Queenmother calls on President-elect Mahama to appoint more women in his government
4 hours -
Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona to go top of La Liga
4 hours -
Usyk breaks Fury’s heart with points win in rematch
4 hours -
Ghana-Russia Centre to run Russian language courses in Ghana
10 hours -
The Hidden Costs of Hunger: How food insecurity undermines mental and physical health in the U.S.
10 hours -
18plus4NDC marks 3rd anniversary with victory celebration in Accra
13 hours -
CREMA workshop highlights collaborative efforts to sustain Akata Lagoon
13 hours -
2024/25 Ghana League: Heart of Lions remain top with win over Basake Holy Stars
14 hours -
Black Queens: Nora Hauptle shares cryptic WAFCON preparation message amid future uncertainty
14 hours -
Re-declaration of parliamentary results affront to our democracy – Joyce Bawah
15 hours -
GPL 2024/25: Vision FC score late to deny Young Apostles third home win
15 hours -
Enhancing community initiatives for coastal resilience: Insights from Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site Workshop
15 hours -
Family Health University College earns a Presidential Charter
15 hours -
GPL 2024/25: Bibiani GoldStars beat Nsoatreman to keep title race alive
15 hours