Following in Twitter’s footsteps, Meta recently introduced a new paid verification feature in Australia and New Zealand. The feature, which involves a “blue” verification badge, not only serves as a verification symbol but also helps increase the visibility of verified accounts. This has raised questions about whether online identity protection on social media platforms can become a sustainable source of revenue.
The subscription bundle includes a verified badge that authenticates the account with a government-issued IDThe new “I’m a member” feature gives you proactive account protection, access to account support, increased visibility and reach, and exclusive features to express yourself in a unique way. The company is starting with a progressive test in Australia and New Zealand, and if this proves useful, they plan to offer it soon in the rest of the world.
This new offering responds to some of the most frequent requests the company receives from creators, including greater access to account verification and support, as well as more features to increase visibility and reach. Meta Verified is available to purchase directly on Instagram or Facebook in Australia and New Zealand for a monthly subscription of $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS and Android.
To ensure that subscribers’ identities and accounts are secure, Meta Verified includes a series of checks before, during and after someone makes a request. Accounts must meet minimum activity requirements and be at least 18 years old, and applicants must provide government identification that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account for which they are applying.
Once the profile has been verified, changes to the profile name, username, date of birth or photo on the profile can only be made by going through the Meta Verified verification and subscription request process again.
While EU-regulated identification services such as eIDAS 2.0 and Personal Identification Data in the
EU Digital Identity Wallet
are moving towards “free” services, private social media verification is moving in the opposite direction. Meta’s service includes features such as identity theft monitoring, customer support and comment prioritization.
