Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a new subscription bundle called Meta Verified that includes account verification, added protection against impersonation, increased visibility, and support for users in the US. The company plans to gradually roll out the paid option to more users over the next few weeks. Meta Verified was first tested in Australia and New Zealand in February and is now available in the US starting at $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on mobile.
To obtain the coveted blue checkmark, users must provide a government ID that matches their profile name and picture and must be at least 18 years old. This move is aimed at increasing authenticity and security across Meta’s services, according to Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement on an Instagram broadcast channel in February.
Meta joins other platforms such as Discord, Reddit, and YouTube in offering a subscription-based model. Twitter also launched its own verification subscription service, Twitter Blue, in December. The move by Meta offers an additional revenue stream beyond advertising, as its core ad sales business faces pressure from various factors including privacy changes and budget constraints.
By providing users with added protection against impersonation accounts and direct access to customer support, Meta Verified aims to increase authenticity and security for Facebook and Instagram users in the US.
