Last month, Mark Zuckerberg shared a new feature coming to Instagram and Facebook users called Meta Verified:
As a paid subscription feature, Meta Verified will help creators "establish and grow [their] presence on Instagram and Facebook."
And it'll come with perks like:
Impersonation Monitoring: Account monitoring to target impersonators.
Verification Badge: Account authentication with a government ID upon subscribing.
Live Chat Customer Support: Access to real-time customer support.
Exclusive Features: Stickers on Facebook and Instagram Stories — plus Facebook Reels.
Reach & Visibility: Increased exposure in search, comments, and recommendations (this perk is only being tested in Australia and New Zealand, for now).
Honestly, the feature has caused a bit of a stir online — while some are open to more safeguards and access to support, others wonder if social media is becoming too "pay-to-play."
To bring you up to speed, we're sharing everything you need to know about Meta Verified — including our initial thoughts.
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Meta Verified: FAQ
Here’s a quick rundown of the who, the what, the how, and the why of Meta Verified:
What Is Meta Verified?
Meta Verified is a paid subscription bundle that will include access to features like live chat support and the coveted blue checkmark.
Who Has Access to Meta Verified?
Meta Verified is currently only being tested in Australia, New Zealand, and the US.
To be eligible, you must:
Be at least 18 years old
Have a profile associated with your full name and a profile picture that includes your face
Have a government-issued ID that matches your name and picture (see below)
Have two-factor authentication set up
Meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history
NOTE: Currently, business profiles are not eligible.
How Much Does Meta Verified Cost?
Meta Verified costs $11.99 (USD) a month on the web, and $14.99 (USD) a month on iOS and Android systems.
How Does the Government ID Authentication Work?
Creators must authenticate their account with a government ID to verify that their picture and name match their Meta profile.
What About Creators Who Use a Different Username for Their Accounts?
According to Meta: "At this time, Meta Verified will only support your real name on your profile. Once your profile is verified, you can’t change the profile name, username, date of birth, or photo on your profile without going through the Meta Verified subscription and verifications application process again."
The company is still working on other details — for example, what happens if two accounts have the same name?
What Happens to Accounts That Are Already Verified?
Meta says there will be no changes made to their accounts.
However, a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch that it will display the follower count of legacy verified accounts in more places to differentiate them from Meta Verified accounts.
Why Is Meta Verified Being Tested?
According to Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, the two comments he sees the most are:
Customer service requests
Verification requests
Thus, the platform is testing Meta Verified to address these requests in an all-in-one bundle.
And, for Mosseri, subscription services are becoming “an industry-wide movement” as they’ve seen platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Discord, and more dabble in it.
In other words: it's a potential new revenue stream. 💸
Our opinion?
With the rise of fake accounts and bots plaguing social media, verification and quick-turn customer support is important.
But will users open up their wallets for it?
Based on online chatter, many feel they're being forced to pay for services that should be free — making this subscription bundle a risky move.
That said, don’t sound the alarm just yet.
Remember: Meta Verified is currently just a test. The company wants to see how and if it'll work on Instagram and Facebook.
Mosseri shared in his Broadcast Channel that they'll only roll it out “if we get it to a good place.”
Plus, they've acknowledged missteps in the past — like the heavy push on "recommended posts" in the feed last year.
So there you have it, Meta Verified in a nutshell. We'll keep you posted on updates when we have them.
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