Taking a page from Elon Musk’s Twitter playbook, Mark Zuckerberg’s meta will roll out paid verification on both Instagram and Facebook starting this week.
The new program, dubbed Meta Verified and first announced this morning via Zuckerberg’s Instagram Broadcast Channel, will allow users to verify their account with a government-issued ID and get a blue badge in exchange for $12 a month Receive when purchased on the web or $15 when purchased through iOS.
Zuckerberg is positioning it as “additional identity protection” against accounts impersonating other accounts, and will also allow direct access to customer support for those who pay for the subscription.
“This new feature is all about increasing the authenticity and security of our services,” says Zuckerberg. “We’re launching in Australia and New Zealand this week and more countries soon.”
The program is explained later in the meta-blog as a test, and the company says another goal is to help aspiring developers grow their footprint and build a community faster. Another important note that the blog clarifies is that there will be no changes to already verified accounts on Instagram and Facebook.
“Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that is valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses, and our community at large,” adds Meta. “As part of that vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and give more people confidence that the accounts they interact with are authentic.”
Those who pay for verification also get increased visibility and reach in areas like search, comments, and recommendations. Subscriptions include “proactive monitoring” for account forgery. The company also promises more “exclusive features,” but didn’t elaborate.
“We are also committed to ongoing monitoring and review of reported violations, as well as taking swift action against those attempting to circumvent our systems,” adds Meta.
To qualify for a paid verification badge, accounts must meet minimum activity requirements (a previous posting history and the user must be at least 18 years old). Accounts must also submit an ID that matches the profile name and photo of the account they are applying for.
This program should come as no surprise to those paying attention, as the paid verification feature was leaked earlier this month.
Photo credit: Header photo licensed through Depositphotos.
Source: petapixel.com
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
