While Elon Musk might not be Twitter’s CEO for much longer, one of his first acts after purchasing the social media platform was introducing a paid verification program for users. While this move wasn’t met with much enthusiasm from the Twitterverse, Facebook and Instagram parent Meta has taken a leaf out of the same book, with testing for “Meta Verified” starting in Australia and New Zealand this week.
The new subscription bundle will not only give users a coveted blue tick, but also access to additional support for their accounts and promises increased visibility to, “establish a presence so they can focus on building their communities on Facebook or Instagram.” Following the absolute debacle of fake verified accounts that popped up after Twitter launched their program, Meta is running a thorough “series of checks before, during and after a user applies for a Meta Verified subscription.” Smart move.
The new service will cost $19.99 per month on the web and $24.99/per month on iOS and Android, but won’t be available for businesses at the moment. In an environment where tech stocks took an absolute hammering over the last year, Meta’s search for additional revenue streams makes a lot of sense, especially if “Meta Verified” encourages content creators to make Instagram and Facebook more engaging for users.
