Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a new subscription service called “Meta Verified” that allows users to pay for a blue tick verification badge. The service costs $11.99 per month for web users and $14.99 for iPhone users and is currently available in Australia and New Zealand. The move is aimed at improving security and authenticity on the social media platforms, according to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta.
The blue tick badge has been used as a verification tool for high-profile accounts to signify their authenticity. The subscription service will 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 its website. The company told the BBC that the change would not affect previously verified accounts, but there would be an increase in visibility for some smaller users who become verified thanks to the paid feature.
However, 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 in November 2022 when people started impersonating big brands and celebrities by paying for the badge. 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.
The move by Meta follows Elon Musk’s introduction of the premium Twitter Blue subscription in November 2022. Musk’s experiment proved that people are still prepared to pay for an enhanced experience, even on free-to-use digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Many in the tech sector were quick to criticise Musk’s move, but it seems his peers were watching closely.
Subscription-based models are increasingly being used by digital platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and Discord. As people become more aware of the use of their data to sell them ads, they may be more willing to pay for an enhanced experience that offers increased security and authenticity.
Meta has not yet specified when the feature will be rolled out to other countries, although Zuckerberg said in a post that it would be “soon.” The move comes after the company announced 11,000 job losses in November 2022 as a result of over-investment during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, Zuckerberg said he had predicted an increase in Meta’s growth based on the rise it had over the pandemic, but that ultimately did not happen.
Meta’s introduction of a paid subscription service for blue tick verification badges is aimed at improving security and authenticity on Facebook and Instagram. The move follows Elon Musk’s introduction of the premium Twitter Blue subscription and may signal a shift towards subscription-based models for digital platforms. As people become more aware of the use of their data to sell them ads, they may be more willing to pay for an enhanced experience that offers increased security and authenticity.
