Facebook and Instagram users pay for a verified account.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta Verified on his social media accounts Sunday.
Testing will begin in New Zealand and Australia this week and will roll out to other countries soon, he said.For $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 per month on Apple and Android operating systems, Meta will use a government identification to verify a user’s account and give the account a blue badge.
Previously, Meta’s blue badges were free and reserved for notable public figures or businesses.READ MORE: Facebook parent Meta among multiple tech companies planning large-scale layoffsSubscribers will also get extra protection against account impersonation and direct access to customer support, Meta said.In this photo illustration, the Meta logo is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a Facebook logo on October 29, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images) "This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services," Zuckerberg said in his message.READ MORE: Language of love: Couple meets, falls in love on DuolingoMeta said public figures and others who were previously verified won't be affected by the change.
Meta Verified is aimed at influencers and others who use social media for their business but aren't notable public figures.Meta is taking a page from Twitter's playbook in launching a subscription service.