Last week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that a “Meta Verified” account will grant users a verified badge, increased visibility on the platforms, prioritized customer support, and more. The company is testing paid verification for Instagram and Facebook for $11.99 per month on web and $14.99 per month on mobile. Will you be among those who will subscribe?
“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,” Zuckerberg writes. “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
In order to sign up to become Meta Verified, you’ll need to meet minimum activity requirements, be at least 18 years of age or older, and submit a government ID that matches the name and photo you have on Facebook or Instagram. Meta’s new product reminds us a lot about the Twitter Blue subscription that was spearheaded by Elon Musk. Meta has confirmed that it won’t make any changes to accounts that have been verified using the company’s previous requirements, including notability and authenticity.
Additionally, users who sign up for the service will get exclusive stickers for Stories and Reels, and will also receive 100 free stars per month, or the digital currency you can use to tip creators on Facebook. Meta notes that businesses can’t yet apply for a Meta Verified badge and that you can’t change your profile name, username, birthday, or profile photo without going through the verification process all over again.
Meta writes in a blog post that their Long term plan is to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses, and our community at large. They 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.
