Facebook, Instagram Verified Users To Pay Monthly

Users of Instagram and Facebook will start paying $11.99 as a monthly subscription for a blue tick verification, Meta, parent company, announced.

In a Facebook post, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the new verification system, called “Meta Verified,” will cost $11.99 month on web or $14.99 a month for iPhone users.

The move comes after Elon Musk, owner of Twitter, implemented the premium Twitter Blue subscription in November 2022.

Meta’s paid subscription service is not yet available for businesses, but any individual can pay for verification.

Badges – or “blue ticks”- have been used as verification tools for high-profile accounts to signify their authenticity.

The subscription would give paying users a blue badge, increased visibility of their posts, protection from impersonators and easier access to customer service, Meta said in a post on their website.

Allowing paying users access to a blue tick has previously caused trouble for other social media platforms.

Twitter’s pay-for verification feature was paused last November when people started impersonating big brands and celebrities by paying for the badge.

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Meta said Instagram and Facebook usernames will have to match a government supplied ID document to be granted verification, and users will have to have a profile picture that includes their face. Other websites like Reddit, YouTube and Discord similarly use subscription-based models.

Meta has not yet specified when the feature will be rolled out to other countries, although Mr Zuckerberg said in a post it would be “soon”.

Below are the benefits of the paid subscription

1. Subscribers to Meta Verified will be able to verify their account on Facebook and Instagram by providing an official ID and getting a blue badge, indicating they are who they say they are.

2. Their account will also be better protected against identity theft thanks to proactive monitoring.

3. If problems arise, these subscribers will be able to contact customer service teams directly.

4. And their posts, photos and videos will have a higher profile than those of non-subscribers by appearing atop search results, commentaries and recommendations.

5. Meta is also promising new creative functionalities.

6. Meta Verified will be rolled out in Australia and New Zealand this week before coming to markets in the United States and other countries.