Meta follows Twitter’s suit, introduces paid verification on Facebook, Instagram

Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced that his company is introducing a new feature dubbed as ‘Meta Verified’ on Instagram and Facebook. The new functionality will give users access to a verified badge, which is similar to what celebrities and influencers have on the platform. In addition to the verified badge, subscribers will also get increased visibility on the two platforms, and a prioritised customer support among other things.

“..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 wrote in a post.

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” he added.

Explaining the new feature, Meta in a more detailed blog post wrote that with Meta Verified, subscribers will get five benefits, which include — a verified badge that will confirm that the subscriber is who they say they are and that their account has been authenticated with a government ID; more protection from impersonation with proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences; faster customer service support for common account issues; increased visibility and reach with prominence in some areas of the platform– like search, comments and recommendations; and exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.

However, not everyone will be able to get access to Meta Verified. To be able to subscribe to Meta Verified, users’ need to be at least 18 years of age and their accounts must meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history. In addition to this, Meta said that applicants need to submit a government ID proof that matches their profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account they’re applying for.

Meta Verified pricing and availability

As far as availability is concerned, Meta said that as of now it has started testing this functionality in New Zealand and Australia. In Australia, the service costs AUD 19.99 on web, and AUD 24.99 on iOS and Android. Similarly, in New Zealand, the service costs NZD 23.99 on web, and NZD 29.99 on iOS and Android.