Did Meta follows the Twitter path for Paid Blue Tick?

Meta is launching paid verification for Instagram and Facebook that gives users a coveted blue badge in exchange for a monthly fee.

The service will begin in Australia and New Zealand this week before arriving in additional countries soon, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Sunday.

Meta will charge users $11.99 (£9.96) per month on the web or $14.99 (£12.45) on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. The move sees it following in Twitter’s footsteps by putting a premium on one of its most sought-after features. Facebook and Instagram verification was previously limited to notable accounts including celebrities’ and high-profile users’.

Meta will allow users to verify their identity by using their government-issued ID cards. The company said the subscription service will also offer “increased visibility and reach,” improved protection against impersonation attacks and direct access to customer support.

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.

Meta is the latest social network to launch a subscription service as the industry seeks new ways to earn revenue beyond targeted advertising.

Late last year, Twitter launched its Blue subscription to a lukewarm reception. Fewer than 0.2 per cent of Twitter users, or 290,000 people globally, are reportedly paying for the service, which offers verification and other perks for £8 per month on the web.

Still, Meta has a much bigger user base than Twitter that it can target with premium features. Facebook alone had 2.96 billion monthly users at last count, while Instagram reportedly hit 2 billion monthly users in 2021.

Ironically, some claim that by opening up verification to everyone social media companies are devaluing the feature. However, Meta insists the new feature is about creating trust in the accounts people follow.

“Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses and our community at large,” Meta said in a blog post. “As part of this vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and more people can trust the accounts they interact with are authentic.”

Via