The rumors were true: Facebook parent company Meta is preparing to launch a Twitter Blue-like subscription called Meta Verified. On Sunday morning, Mark Zuckerberg took to his newly launched broadcast channel to share the news. He said the subscription service would give users a blue badge, added identity protection and direct access to customer support. “This feature is about increasing the authenticity and security of our services,” Zuckerberg said, adding that Meta would first test the subscription in Australia and New Zealand before rolling it out in other countries. Meta Verified costs $15 per month when users sign up through the company’s apps on iOS and Android. On the web, where there are no app store commissions, the service costs $12 per month. The subscription applies to both Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Users must meet certain eligibility requirements before they can sign up for Meta Verified. In particular, the company informed Engadget that the subscription will only be available to users aged 18 and over. Meta will also require potential subscribers to share a government-issued ID that matches their profile name and photo on their Facebook or Instagram account. Once verified, you cannot change your profile name, username, date of birth, or photo without going through the verification process again. Accounts that were verified for notoriety prior to today’s announcement will remain verified.
Along with perks like a blue badge and increased search visibility, Meta offers verified subscribers 100 free stars, a digital currency they can use to tip creators on Facebook. The subscription also includes access to exclusive stickers for use in Stories and Reels. Rumors that Meta was preparing to test a paid verification service began circulating in early February when reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi spotted a code referencing “paid blue badge” and “identity verification.” Early Sunday morning, social media consultant and former Next Web reporter Matt Navarre found out that Meta had posted an Instagram support page detailing the subscription, only to later remove it prior to Zuckerberg’s Instagram post.
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