Meta Platforms announced on Sunday, local time, that it is testing a monthly subscription service called Meta Verified. This service will let Facebook and Instagram users verify their accounts with a government ID and get a blue tick badge.
Reuters said Meta Verified would start this week in Australia and New Zealand and then slowly spread to other countries and regions. Subscriptions will cost US$11.99 (RM53.12) monthly on the web version and US$14.99 (RM66.41) monthly on Apple’s iOS and Android.
After Twitter, Meta is the next step in terms of paid services. Last month, Twitter said that Twitter Blue would be US$11 (RM48.73) per month.
Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, was quoted as saying in a statement published on Facebook and Instagram that “this new feature is aimed to strengthen the authenticity and security of our many services.”
Last year, other social media apps like Snap and Telegram added paid subscription services as a new way to make money.
Meta said the verification status of well-known public figures with blue hooks on Facebook and Instagram would remain the same. The subscription service is only for people over 18 and is not open to corporate applications.
