Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new paid subscription service called Meta Verified that will issue verified badges to paid users.
The meta executive said Instagram users can increase visibility by paying a blue confirmation badge, additional account impersonation protection, and paying a monthly fee.
"Good morning! New Product Announcement: This week we're starting to roll out Meta Verified, a subscription service that allows you to verify your account with government ID, get a blue badge, get extra protection from impersonation against accounts claiming your identity, and directly to Customer Support". access,” Zuckerberg wrote.
"This new feature is designed to improve the authenticity and security of our services. Verified by Meta, starting at $11.99/month online or $14.99/month on iOS. This week in Australia and New Zealand, and coming soon other countries are available. "
The company told Insider that creators who sign up for Meta Verified will also get "increased visibility and reach" in areas like search and recommendations. Meta will use the person's government ID to verify that the account belongs to the user.
The official announcement came after social media consultant Matt Navarra tweeted a message on Instagram's help center page on Sunday saying the new feature would be available soon. The post was viewed by myinstafollow before it was removed.
A message on the help page said that followers can get their own stickers for their Instagram stories. It also states that users who have purchased Meta Verified will also not apply it to their Facebook accounts. The Compliance Help Center page, which was also taken down, stated that users must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for a Meta Verified subscription.
Navara told Insider that it makes sense for Meta to consider a paid review plan. “The market has already been tested by competitors, the benefits are mostly already there, and creating this new product does not require much engineering time, and this creates a new revenue stream at a time when most companies are facing tough economic barriers.”
Navarra, UK government adviser, added: “Snap with Snapchat+ and Twitter with Twitter Blue have provided a new source of revenue for social media companies.
In December, Twitter introduced its Twitter Blue premium subscription for the second time since Elon Musk took control of the company.
A rollout of a service that allows users to pay for verification drew backlash and was temporarily put on hold in November after some users purchased the service to allow companies and politicians to spoof their accounts.
