Meta is testing a new subscription service that will 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 start in New Zealand and Australia this week and will soon be extended to other countries, he said.
For $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 per month on Apple and Android operating systems, Meta uses government identification to verify a user’s account and blue badge the account. Previously, Meta blue badges were free and reserved for notable public figures or corporations.
Subscribers also get added protection against account forgery and direct access to customer support, Meta said.
“This new feature is all about increasing the authenticity and security of our services,” Zuckerberg said in his statement.
Meta said public figures and others who have been previously verified will not be affected by the change. Meta Verified is aimed at influencers and others who use social media for their business but are not notable public figures.
Meta takes a page from Twitter’s playbook and launches a subscription service. Late last year, Twitter began charging users $8 per month for Twitter Blue, which verifies their account with a blue tick.
On Saturday, Twitter went one step further, announcing that Twitter users would lose their ability to secure their accounts with two-factor authentication unless they pay for the $8 monthly Twitter Blue subscription.
Social media companies have been trying to find new revenue streams as online advertising wanes. Earlier this month, Meta announced its third straight quarter of revenue declines despite rising user numbers. Meta announced it would lay off 11,000 workers, or 13% of its workforce, in November.
Dee-Ann Durbin, The Associated Press
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