On February 19 (local time), Meta announced paid verification system codenamed Meta Verified. As per an official statement from Meta, the new subscription bundle would include account verification and direct access to increased visibility and support. Initially, the service would be available for users in Australia and New Zealand.
In a social media post, founder and CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg, said, “Good morning and 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. This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services. Meta Verified starts at $11.99 / month on the web or $14.99 / month on iOS. We’ll be rolling out in Australia and New Zealand this week and more countries soon.”
Interestingly, the announcement was first made on the recently launched ‘broadcast’ feature on Instagram, where the admin of the broadcast list can send announcements to all subscribers in one go.
Notably, the verification of the accounts on Facebook and Instagram is subject to authentication of your identity via a government-issued ID. The paid subscription includes many features, such as a verified badge, protection from impersonators, access to a ‘real person’ for account-related issues, increased visibility and reach, and exclusive features that Meta might launch in the future.
The subscription fee for users on the Web is USD 11.99, and for iOS and Android users, it is USD 14.99. It converts to AUD 19.99 or NZD 23.99 for the Web and AUD 24.99 or NZD 29.99 for iOS and Android.
Unlike Twitter, Facebook has assured that already verified accounts on Instagram and Facebook will see no change in terms of authenticity and notability. For those who are not aware, Elon Musk recently announced that at one point, the legacy verified accounts would lose their verified badge, and they would have to subscribe to Twitter Blue. Several new features are available for Twitter Blue subscribers that legacy verified accounts do not enjoy.
To get a verified badge on Facebook or Instagram, the user must have prior posting history and be at least 18 years old. Furthermore, you cannot apply for a verified badge on Facebook or Instagram if you do not have your real name and photograph on the platforms. As per Meta’s post, the photograph and name must match the government ID to initiate the process.
That means if you are staying anonymous on Facebook or Instagram or using a pen name or alias, as of now, you will not be eligible for the service. Notably, once verified, the subscribers will not be allowed to change “profile name, username, date of birth, or photo on your profile without going through the Meta Verified subscription and verifications application process again,” Meta said.
Meta further said that the increased visibility would depend on the subscriber’s existing audience size and posts’ topics. The smaller accounts will see a more notable change in reach. The content guidelines for all users will remain the same.
Meta will soon offer exclusive stickers for the subscribers on Facebook, Instagram Stories and Facebook Reels. Furthermore, 100 free stars a month on Facebook will be provided that subscribers can use to show support to the creators.
As of now, Businesses cannot apply for the service.
