2023 will be remembered in the world of social media as the year when the trend of paying for verification began to spread. Verified badges or blue checkmarks were initially meant to highlight influential individuals from various fields, but both Twitter (the pioneer) and Meta have expanded that concept significantly.
While Twitter completely removed the old verification system, retaining only the Twitter Blue checkmarks, Meta’s plans are more moderate. They combine the traditional verification system for relevant individuals with a new subscription-based system called Meta Verified, allowing users to pay for a blue checkmark next to their names on Facebook and Instagram.
This subscription system was initially launched in February as a trial for users in Australia and New Zealand, and in April, it was rolled out in the United States. Now, Meta intends to expand access to this “eye-catching” feature and will launch Meta Verified in Latin America this week, followed by a global rollout in the coming months.
“We are thrilled to begin rolling out Meta Verified in most global markets in the coming months,” Meta commented in a blog post. “We have received positive feedback from creators during our initial testing and continue to gather insights on what is most valuable to subscribers. We will continue evolving Meta Verified based on what we have learned and explore new features and benefits that bring even more value to our subscribers.”
Meta Verified costs $11.99 per month in the United States if the subscription is purchased via the web, or $14.99 per month if acquired through the mobile app (due to digital store commissions). In addition to verification, the subscription provides users with direct access to customer support (something that should ideally be included by default, but that’s how the business world works, I suppose), as well as protections against identity impersonation and exclusive stickers.
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