Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced Sunday that it will be testing Meta Verified, a paid verification subscription service that makes it easy for users to verify their accounts.
According to a Facebook post by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the move behind the subscription service is to increase “reliability and security across its services.”
Subscription bundles include verified badges that authenticate users’ accounts with government IDs, proactive account protection, access to account support, and increased visibility and reach.
“Later this week we will begin phased testing in Australia and New Zealand to learn what will be of most value. I’m here.
“Meta Verified will be available for purchase directly on Instagram or Facebook in Australia and New Zealand later this week. People can purchase a monthly subscription for $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS and Android,” it added. .
Companies are currently not eligible to apply for Meta Verified. Once a user’s profile is verified, they may not change their profile name, username, date of birth, or profile picture without going through the meta-verification subscription and verification application process again.
The blog further added that there will be no changes to Instagram and Facebook accounts that have already been verified based on previous requirements such as authenticity and name recognition.
Meta’s new verification subscription service comes days after Twitter rolled out a similar service to boost revenue. Last year, the social media giant owned by Elon Musk launched Twitter Blue, an opt-in paid subscription. It adds a blue checkmark to a user’s account, provides early access to select features like editing tweets, and has localized pricing starting at $8/month. Or $84 per year in some countries.
As of February, Twitter Blue had nearly 290,000 subscribers, according to The Information. Another social media company, Snapchat, also offers Snapchat+, which costs $3.99/month and has over 2 million users.