Meta roll out Meta Verified on Facebook and Instagram

Meta has confirmed the rollout of "Meta Verified", its own subscription model like Twitter Blue. The biggest advantage of the Meta Verified subscription is that users can get verified on Facebook and Instagram. Once the profile is verified, users will get a blue tick next to their names. Over the year, the blue tick has become a status symbol. The subscription will also offer an additional security feature to help authentic creators fight against account spoofing. Meta Verified is currently being tested in Australia and New Zealand at $11.99 (approx Rs 990) per month on the web or $14.99 (around Rs 1240) per month on iPhones.

The price of Meta Verified in India will likely be adjusted to appeal to a broader audience. If Meta retains the Rs 1,200, the subscription will be more expensive than Netflix's premium plan (Rs 649) and Twitter Blue (Rs 900).

In a blog post, Meta mentions that users must provide a government ID to be verified on Facebook and Instagram. Meta Verified features include a verified badge, more phishing protection, better customer service, increased visibility and reach, and exclusive features (stickers in stories). However, Meta will not limit ads with your Meta Verified subscription.

Meta says they want to create a valuable subscription for everyone, including creators, businesses, and their community. Meta clarifies that users verified through the above method will keep their verified badge.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, also shared the announcement on his Facebook. His post says, "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. This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services."

Meta confirmed their subscription just a few weeks after a reverse engineer spotted their development within the app's code. It comes days after Twitter launched a subscription similar to Twitter Blue that includes a verified badge. Previously, the Twitter and Meta (Instagram and Facebook) platforms allowed users to get verified through a lengthy (and opaque) process. The verified badge symbolizes authenticity but has become more of a status symbol.

Instagram still allows users to get verified via the old method, at least in India. To request a blue badge from Instagram, head to Settings > Account > Request verification. The platform will analyze the request and respond within 24 hours.