- Following Twitter, Instagram has also announced a premium-tier for the platform.
- Meta Verified is claimed to increase authenticity and security across Meta’s services.
- The paid services will be rolled out in Australia and New Zealand this week and will come to other markets soon.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk made a lot of highlights with the new Twitter Blue subscription model. The new Twitter Blue promises a verification tick to those who subscribe, on top of various other perks, like skyrocketing to the top of searches, the ability to edit a tweet, undo a tweet, change the app icon and layout, get paid as a creator, and even be able to set up a 2-factor authentication via SMS. Instagram now appears to be following similar trend, as Meta has announced a new paid tier, dubbed Meta Verified. With Meta Verified, Meta aims to curb fake accounts and impersonation, while offering other benefits to those who subscribe, including, well, a verification checkmark.
Meta Verified subscription tier launched: here’s how much it will cost you
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, announced on Sunday the launch of a paid-tier for Instagram. Meta Verified starts at $11.99 (around Rs 990) a month on the web and $14.99 (around Rs 1,240) on iOS and Android, and will authenticate one’s Instagram handle, or, in other words, will provide the handle with a verified checkmark. According to Zuckerberg, the new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across Meta’s services. In comparison, Twitter Blue costs $11 (Rs 900 in India) on iOS and Android and $8 (Rs 650 in India) on web. An annual Twitter Blue subscription is also available, which costs $84 (Rs 6,800 in India) per year.
Features exclusive to Meta Verified:
- A verified badge
- Protection from impersonation
- Access to a real person for issues with account
- Increased visibility and reach
- Other exclusive features including stickers on Facebook and Instagram Stories and Facebook Reels, and 100 free stars a month on Facebook to show support for other creators
Meta Verified will roll out in Australia and New Zealand starting this week, but the official statement suggests that other markets will soon start receiving it as well. Meta Verified subscribers will get a verified badge, extra protection against impersonation, more visibility, and direct access to customer support, according to Meta.
The company has also said that Meta Verified is intended primarily towards content creators who are looking to expand their presence on the platform. If, however, your account has already been verified, there will be no change to your verification status (at least for now), claims the company.
Meta Verified eligibility criteria
To be eligible for Meta Verified, a user must be at least 18 years old and have a posting history. Applicants will be asked to submit a government ID that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account they’re applying for. It must be noted that Meta Verified will only support a user’s real name on the profile. Once the profile is verified, the user won’t be able to change the profile name, username, date of birth, or photo without going through the Meta Verified verifications process all over again.
