This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
It looks like a case of “monkey see, monkey do.” On Jan. 19, Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta is testing a subscription service that will allow Facebook and Instagram users to get verified, sparking debate among creators already skeptical from the similar late 2022 launch of Twitter’s new subscription product including verification, Twitter Blue.
“This week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
“Meta Verified” will start at $11.99 a month on the web or $14.99 a month on iOS, and it’s starting its rollout in Australia and New Zealand with “more countries soon” as of February 2023. Users must be 18 and older to be eligible, and Meta clarified that there will be no changes to accounts that are already verified.
