Meta Launches Verified Subscription for Facebook and Instagram
- Laurent Giret
- Feb 20, 2023
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Meta announced yesterday that it was trialing a new Meta Verified subscription in Australia and New Zealand. Meta Verified will provide subscribers with a verified badge for their Facebook and Instagram accounts, extra impersonation protections, and direct access to customer support.
Meta Verified shares some similarities with the new Twitter Blue subscription launched by Elon Musk, and it comes at a time when Mark Zuckerberg’s costly bet on the Metaverse is looking incredibly risky. According to the company, expanding access to verified badges has been a popular request from users, among other features.
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“Some of the top requests we get from creators are for broader access to verification and account support, in addition to more features to increase visibility and reach. Since last year, we’ve been thinking about how to unlock access to these features through a paid offering,” Meta explained in a press release.
Just like Twitter Blue, Meta promises that Meta Verified subscribers will see their content get better visibility, with “prominence in some areas of the platform– like search, comments and recommendations.” The announcement also teases “exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.”
Meta says that it won’t make some changes to accounts on Facebook and Instagram that already received a verified badge after meeting the pre-existing requirements. However, the company says that it’s “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.”
Meta Verified will cost $11.99/month on the web and $14.99/month on iOS and Android when it launches later this week. The subscription will only be available for Facebook and Instagram users who are at least 18 years old, and a government ID will also be required. “We’re starting with a gradual test in Australia and New Zealand later this week to learn what’s most valuable, and we hope to bring Meta Verified to the rest of the world soon,” the company said.