Meta to roll out paid verification service

Meta is currently testing a subscription service which will eventually be launched soon. This will allow users of Facebook and Instagram to get verified by paying a fee.

It was Meta’s chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, who personally announced the paid service last weekend. He revealed that this comes with other perks like direct access to customer support and added protection from impersonation accounts.

As per CNN Business, users can use this paid verification service to avoid fake accounts or impersonations. They will get a blue badge to prove that their account has been verified. Aside from paying a fee, users are required to provide a government ID to prove their identity during the verification process.

Users must be 18 years old and above to be eligible, and the identification card that they will use must match the name and picture on their IG or FB profile. For accounts that were already authenticated, the company said there would be no changes in the verified users’ accounts.

Previously, notable users of Meta’s social media platforms were granted the check verification marks. And now, people will have to pay to get verified.

People who want to avail of the “Meta Verified” service will have to pay a monthly fee that will start at $11.99 on the web, and it will cost $14.99 and up for a month on iOS. Meta said that it would begin rolling out the service in Australia and New Zealand this week. It will eventually add more countries to the list soon.

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” the Meta chief wrote in a post on the Instagram broadcast channel.

In a separate statement, Meta said in a blog post, “We are testing Meta Verified, a new subscription bundle that includes account verification with impersonation protections and access to increased visibility and support. We want to make it easier for creators to establish a presence so they can focus on building their communities on Instagram or Facebook.”

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