Meta announces the roll out of its new Verified subscription program, allowing users to purchase blue checks for Instagram and Facebook.
“We’re expanding our test of Meta Verified to the US after seeing good results from our early testing,” Meta creators stated on their blog today.
The new $14.99 per month Verified subscription bundle will “help you establish your presence on Instagram and Facebook,” according to the social media giant.
The caveat here is that users will have to pay the 14.99 fee on each social media platform separately, pushing that total up to close to $30 per month for most users.
It remains to be seen whether users will embrace the Verified blue check, or rally against it, as in the case of Twitter.
Twitter – which added its own paid-for-blue checks verification plan after Elon Musk took over the app in October 2022 – faced a massive backlash for charging users a blue check fee when it was previously a free feature.
Twitter eventually grandfathered in blue check accounts verified before the takeover. Snapchat also offers a verified feature to subscribers who have over 50,000 views on their account.
Meta’s Verified, similar to the $8 per month Twitter Blue subscription service, will give users a verified blue check badge next to their profile name in order to prove authenticity.
The biggest difference? Meta will require the user to provide a government ID and live photo verification of the users face to authenticate an account before giving it the blue badge.
Besides increased visibility and reach, features in the Meta subscription bundle will include private account monitoring, built-in two-factor authentication and direct support.
Verified users will also have some fun bonus features such as “exclusive stickers to use on your Facebook, Reels, and Instagram Stories. , as well as 100 ‘Stars’ a month to tag and support other Facebook influencer accounts.
“We’re exploring elements to add to the subscription as we roll out to more places and will share more when we’re ready,” Meta stated.
Meta is also offering a Facebook only web subscription for 11.99 per month.
Right now, Verified is only available in the US, Australia and New Zealand for people 18 years or older.
Founder Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta would begin testing the Verified service back in February.
The company plans to further evolve the service as more feedback is gathered, Meta said.
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