- Kyle Chua
Meta Starts Testing Paid Verification on Facebook, Instagram
Meta appears to be taking a page out of Twitter's playbook as it starts testing paid verification on Facebook and Instagram.
The social media giant announced you can avail of a verified badge on the two platforms for US$11.99 per month, although that price goes up to US$14.99 per month if you pay via the iOS app, granting you improved visibility and direct access to customer support, among other benefits. You'll also receive exclusive stickers for your Stories and Reels as well as 100 free stars per month, the digital currency you can use to tip content creators on Facebook.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post that the blue badge additionally protects your account from impersonators, allowing you to enjoy increased authenticity and security across Facebook and Instagram.
"Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses and our community at large," writes Meta in a newsroom post. "As part of this vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and more people can trust the accounts they interact with are authentic."
The new subscription service called Meta Verified is being tested in Australia and New Zealand this week, with it hitting more countries soon.
There are two key requirements to sign up for the service: You must be at least 18 years of age or older, and must provide a valid government ID that matches the name and photo you have on Facebook or Instagram.
Meanwhile, if you already have an existing verified account, you don't have to worry as Meta won't make any changes to it. But if you change your profile name, username, birthday or profile photo, you'll have to go through the verification process again.
Meta also notes that, as of right now, businesses can't sign up for Meta Verified yet – only accounts for individuals can.
Meta Verified shares a lot in common with Twitter's own paid verification service, Twitter Blue. Both of these provide you with a blue checkmark on your profile and premium features for a monthly subscription fee. Twitter CEO Elon Musk launched the service after his high-profile acquisition of the microblogging platform in an attempt to expand monetisation beyond advertising.
Meta has announced Meta Verified, a subscription service that lets you avail of a verified badge on Facebook or Instagram for US$11.99 per month, although that price goes up to US$14.99 per month if you pay via the iOS app.
The subscription grants you improved visibility and direct access to customer support, among other benefits.
It's currently being tested in Australia and New Zealand, with it hitting more countries soon.
Meta notes that, as of right now, businesses can't sign up for Meta Verified yet – only accounts for individuals can.