Meta Verified will be available in Australia and New Zealand for $11.99 a month on the web and $14.99 per month on iOS.
Blame Meta’s move on Elon Musk. Meta is preparing to launch Meta Verified, a membership service on Instagram and Facebook that will grant users a blue badge, similar to Twitter.
“New product announcement: This week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified—a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support,” said Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder, on his Instagram broadcast channel on Sunday.
The California-based company’s service will be available in Australia and New Zealand for $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on iOS.
Meta verification badge
“This new feature is about strengthening authenticity and security across our services,” Zuckerberg said in his statement.
According to a Meta blog post, submitting a government ID will result in “proactive account protection, access to account support, and enhanced visibility and reach.”
The company’s decision follows Twitter’s new service, Twitter Blue, which similarly provides users a verification badge for a $8 monthly charge.
Snapchat also introduced a paid subscription option called Snapchat+ last year, which costs $3.99 per month.
“Some of the top requests we get from creators are for broader access to verification and account support, as well as new features to boost visibility and reach,” the firm wrote in a blog post. We’ve been thinking about how to unlock access to these features through a subscription offering since last year.
Meta Verified will give further impersonation security through proactive account monitoring for impersonators who may target persons with rising online audiences, as well as support users when they need it by providing access to a real person for typical account concerns. It will also boost the accounts’ visibility and reach in specific areas of the website.
Accounts must meet certain activity standards, such as prior posting history, and be at least 18 years old to be eligible for Meta Verified. Applicants must also provide a government ID that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account for which they are requesting. At this moment, businesses are not eligible to qualify for Meta Verified.
Once a profile is confirmed, the user will be unable to change the profile name, username, date of birth, or photo without re-applying for the Meta Verified subscription and verification application.
