(AP) – Meta is testing a new subscription service that would allow Facebook and Instagram users to pay for a verified account.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta Verified on his social media accounts on Sunday. Testing will begin in New Zealand and Australia this week and will soon be rolled out to other countries, he said.
For $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 per month on the Apple and Android operating systems, Meta will use government identification to verify a user’s account and issue them a blue badge. Previously, Meta blue badges were free and reserved for public figures or notable companies.
Subscribers will also get additional protection against account takeover and direct access to customer support, Meta said.
“This new feature aims to increase the authenticity and security of our services,” Zuckerberg said in his post.
Meta said public figures and others who have already been vetted will not be affected by the change. Meta Verified is for influencers and others who use social media for their business but are not notable public figures.
Meta takes a page from Twitter’s playbook by launching a subscription service. Late last year, Twitter started charging users $8 per month for Twitter Blue, which verifies their account with a blue check.
On Saturday, Twitter took the service one step further, announcing that Twitter users would lose their ability to secure their accounts with two-factor authentication unless they paid the $8 monthly subscription to Twitter Blue.
Social media companies have been trying to find new revenue streams as online advertising slows. Earlier this month, Meta reported its third straight quarter of revenue decline despite an increase in user numbers. Meta announced that it would lay off 11,000 workers, or 13% of its workforce, in November.
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