As of today, Meta Platforms is rolling out its Verified subscription service for Facebook and Instagram users in the U.S.
Users who sign up receive a verified "blue badge" on their accounts,
along with direct access to customer support, higher visibility, added
protection from impersonators, and other "exclusive features," the
company said.
- The service, called Meta Verified, costs $11.99 a month on the web and $14.99 a month on Android and iOS.
- Meta has now opened up a waitlist online for potential users, who must be at least 18 and be able to confirm their identity by providing a government-issued photo ID.
- Once
verified, subscribers can't alter their profile name, username, date of
birth, or photo unless they go through the verification process again.
- The goal is to increase "authenticity and security" across Meta's services, Mark Zuckerberg has said, though reports note that the tech platform may be seeking to diversify its revenue sources.
- Twitter relaunched its similar Blue paid subscription service in December.
In addition to getting a blue verified checkmark, it allows individual
users to edit tweets and view fewer ads, among other perks.
- Unlike Twitter, Meta won't charge Instagram and Facebook users who were previously verified.
