Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has announced that Meta Verified, its paid verification programme has officially launched on Instagram and Facebook in the United States. ‘You can get a badge, proactive impersonation protection and direct access to customer support,’ he said on the Instagram Meta Channel on Friday. The move comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed plans to charge $8 USD per month for Twitter verification.
The monthly subscription for Meta Verified costs $11.99 USD on the web, and $14.99 USD on mobile, and was initially available in Australia and New Zealand, where users received a blue tick mark next to their handles and names. Verification will not be charged to those who are already verified on Instagram and Facebook.
Before they can be verified, users must be at least 18 years old and have completed the verification process. Meta will require users to provide proof of their identities by submitting a government-issued photo ID and completing the two-factor authentication process.
Meta Verified subscribers will be unable to change their profile name, username, photo, or date of birth unless they re-verify. There is currently an online waitlist for the subscription service, which is now accepting sign-ups.
Are users going to go for this? That remains to be seen. What about you? Do you think it’s even worth it? Let us know in the comments below, or despite the irony, on Facebook or Twitter.
