Hyderabad: Inspired by Elon Musk-run Twitter, Meta on Sunday announced it is testing paid verification for Instagram and Facebook for $11.99 per month for the web and $14.99 per month for mobile. Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that a "Meta Verified" account will grant users a verified badge, increased visibility on the platforms, prioritised customer support, and more.
The company is first rolling out the feature to Australia and New Zealand and it will arrive in more countries "soon." "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 said in an Instagram post.
"This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services," he added. For Meta Verified, the user needs to meet minimum activity requirements, be at least 18 years of age or older, and submit a government ID.
Also read: How to keep your Twitter account secure without paying
Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Monday reacted to Meta's announcement of the new paid verification for Instagram and Facebook, and stated it as "inevitable." The news website Disclose.tv tweeted, "JUST IN - Zuckerberg copies Twitter: $12 bucks per month to get verified and receive a blue badge." Musk replied: "Inevitable."
In a tweet, Sriram Krishnan, a former Twitter executive of Indian origin and Musk's adviser, said: "Think @elonmusk basically ended the old world of verification and badges online forever." "I hate the old verification system. Endless favour trading/corruption/people getting some random press piece written just to get verified / unhappy customers and uneven implementation. This is so much better and cleaner," Krishnan added. To this Musk replied: "Exactly".
Many users expressed their thoughts on Twitter CEO's post. While one user said, "Facebook is a worthless wasteland at this point. The only reason I keep my account is to get the occasional photo memory. You'd be better off taking that $12 a month and setting it on fire." Another commented, "Verification will just become another business expense you can have your accountant write off like office supplies and coffee." (With agency inputs)
