Those who want more status and protection on Instagram and Facebook will be able to buy them from now on. For $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS and Android, you can buy a blue badge with your name, a sign of authenticity.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), has announced a new payment formula on his own Instagram. From now on you can have your accounts on Instagram and Facebook verified – at least if you present your identity card – for 11 euros per month. For that price you get a blue badge, you are better protected against fake accounts that ‘steal’ your name, your posts get more visibility and you get better access to customer service. “The new feature is all about more authenticity and security on social media.”
The subscription, called Meta Verified, will roll out in Australia and New Zealand next week. Other countries will soon follow, Zuckerberg adds.
The subscription formula should become a new source of income for Meta. The company announced another 11,000 layoffs in November.
Remarkable: the new function is more expensive on the smartphone than elsewhere on the web, with iOS and Android you will have to pay 14 euros for the subscription.
Earlier, Twitter also decided to charge its users for a coveted blue check mark behind their name. That used to be reserved for celebrities and politicians, now everyone can buy that extra status.
