You can now pay to be verified on Instagram and Facebook in the US

Earlier this year, Meta announced its plans to introduce a new paid subscription that will let users verify the authenticity of their account via a government ID to get a blue checkmark on Facebook and Instagram. Starting today, users located in the US can subscribe to Meta Verified.

As noted by TechCrunch, the launch of Meta Verified was confirmed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Instagram. “You can get a badge, proactive impersonation protection and direct access to customer support,” the executive said.

The subscription costs $11.99 per month for those subscribing from the web and $14.99 as an in-app subscription, probably to offset the 30% commission from Apple and Google.

Once you subscribe, Meta will ask you for a government-issued photo ID to confirm your identity, as well as some additional information. Having two-factor authentication enabled on the account is also required, as well as being at least 18 years old. If the verification is approved by Meta, the user will get a blue checkmark on their Instagram and Facebook profiles.

According to the Meta Verified terms, verified users won’t be able to change their profile name, photo, username, or date of birth without going through the verification process again. In addition, Meta Verified subscribers will have access to exclusive stickers, as well as 100 Stars per month to support creators on Facebook.

The program was being tested with a small number of users in Australia and New Zealand before its US launch. There, Meta says it has achieved “good results.” It’s unclear when Meta Verified will become available in other regions around the world, but that shouldn’t take long.

Facebook and Instagram join Twitter and Telegram

Facebook and Instagram are not the first social networks to offer blue checkmarks for paid subscribers. Popular messaging platform Telegram was the first to give users the verified badge for those who subscribe to Telegram Premium, which was introduced in June 2022. A few months later, Twitter started offering the verified badge to anyone subscribed to Twitter Blue.

In the past, only users considered notable in categories such as media and government were eligible to have their profiles verified on social networks so that other users could be sure they were following the real owners of those accounts.

Of course, as a lot of people are willing to pay to put a blue badge on their profile, it’s no surprise that social networks are now offering this as a paid subscription – even if the badge means nothing in some cases. As for Meta Verified, those interested in subscribing can join a waiting list on the Meta website.

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