Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, is launching a new paid verification subscription service called “Meta Verified”.
For a monthly fee of $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS, users will be able to submit their government ID and receive a blue verification badge, which signals their legitimacy on the platform.
The Meta Verified subscription service has been introduced as a way to increase security and authenticity on the company’s social media platforms. By offering blue verification badges to users who submit their government ID and meet the subscription requirements, Meta aims to distinguish legitimate users from those who might be impersonating them.
While the service is currently only available in Australia and New Zealand, Meta has stated that more countries will follow. The subscription fee for the service is $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on iOS. In addition to the verification badge, subscribers will also receive “proactive monitoring” for account impersonation.
It’s worth noting that businesses are not currently eligible to apply for Meta Verified, and users who wish to change their profile name, username, date of birth, or profile photo will need to go through the application process again.
The introduction of Meta Verified comes shortly after Twitter launched its revamped subscription service, Twitter Blue, which also offers users a verification badge in exchange for a monthly fee. While both services aim to increase authenticity and security, they have also faced criticism from some users who feel that verification should be available to everyone without a fee.
