Great minds think alike, which explains why Mark Zuckerberg is pulling off an Elon Musk by introducing Meta Verified. The subscription costs $11.99 a month on the web or $14.99 for iPhone users, and it gets users the coveted, verified blue tick. The money isn’t all for the blue tick, but several improvisations that go beyond the tick. This move will improve security and authenticity on social media apps. Let’s learn more below-
Blue tick verification will be available for Facebook and Instagram-
For a charge of nearly $15, Facebook (2.85 billion monthly active users worldwide) and Instagram users (1.21 billion users) will get a fair chance to buy a verified account. The subscription bundle will be authenticated with a government ID. Per a statement by Meta, the subscription package will offer “proactive account protection, access to account support, and increased visibility and reach.” Zuckerberg wrote, “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.” Twitter which enjoys 238 million daily users, charged $7.99 for a blue tick.
Unlike Twitter, Meta is being cautious and thorough-
Now that money can buy everything (including the blue tick), it becomes imperative to rule out fake accounts. Meta can learn from Twitter’s mistakes and save its media apps from undergoing the debacle of imposters. Musk’s launch of the Twitter subscription service backfired, as many fake accounts impersonated big brands and businesses. The service was paused and relaunched later to a humdrum reception.
Usernames will have to match government id’s –
It’s great news for new and smaller accounts as they will finally be awarded the much-deserved visibility by becoming verified to the paid feature. But one person’s boon doesn’t have to be another’s bane, as the company told the BBC the change would not affect previously verified accounts. Meta said Instagram and Facebook usernames would have to match a government-supplied ID document to be confirmed, along with a profile picture clearly showing their face. “Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses, and our community at large. As part of this vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and more people can trust the accounts they interact with are authentic,” Meta stated.
When does it launch?
As testing starts this week, it is time for Instagram and Facebook users in Australia and New Zealand to be excited. Meta shared they “hope” to bring the service to users in other countries soon. It should also be noted that the new service won’t be available for businesses now. Their announcement came three months after Twitter owner Elon Musk implemented the Twitter Blue subscription system.
