Meta Verified: A New Way to Increase Authenticity and Security on Facebook and Instagram
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has launched a new paid verification subscription service called Meta Verified. This service will allow users to buy a blue badge for a monthly fee of $11.99 on web or $14.99 on iOS. The company will begin releasing it in Australia and New Zealand this week and "more countries soon."
The blue verification badge will appear next to the name of the account or page as well as in search results, indicating that the account is authentic and belongs to a real person or business. To avoid fake accounts, customers who want to get the blue badge would need to provide a government ID which matches their profile name and picture, and must also be above 18 years old.
Verified badges provide several benefits, including extra protection from impersonation accounts and direct access to customer support. Users with verified accounts are more likely to be taken seriously by their followers and potential customers. This move is about increasing authenticity and security across Facebook's services.
Meta clarified that there will be no changes to accounts that are already verified. Verification was previously for users who are "authentic and notable." The company said it is evolving the meaning of the blue badge to focus on authenticity so they can expand verification access to more people.
Twitter also relaunched its own verification subscription service called Twitter Blue in December after an onset of fake "verified" accounts forced it to pull the feature. Twitter Blue costs $11 a month for iOS and Android subscribers.
Overall, verified badges are an important step towards ensuring authenticity and credibility on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, Reddit, YouTube among others. By providing users with a way to verify their identity through government-issued ID cards , these platforms are helping to build trust between users and create a safer online environment.