On Facebook and Instagram, Meta declared that it would start charging $11.99 per month for a blue badge.
Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, wants power users to start paying for certain capabilities on its platforms, following Twitter's lead and charging for verified blue checkmarks.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, posts on Facebook and Instagram published on Sunday, a new subscription service called Meta Verified will be made available this week in Australia and New Zealand and will soon be extended to additional nations. Users will receive a blue badge and immediate access to customer care for $11.99 per month (or $14.99 if purchased on Apple's operating system, iOS). The project was referred to by the firm as a "gradual test."
According to Mr. Zuckerberg, "this new functionality is about boosting authenticity and security across our services." Users must submit a government-issued ID to qualify for Meta Verified, and subscribers will only be able to use their legal names on their profile pages, according to the business. According to Mr. Zuckerberg, subscribers will get "additional impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you."
In the next weeks, the service will be made available in the United States, according to a Meta spokesman. She chose not to mention the additional nations where Meta Verified will be made available. Meta aims to ultimately offer combined memberships, but for now, users who want blue badges on both Facebook and Instagram must enroll their accounts separately in Meta Verified, which costs at least $24 per month.
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