Meta disclosed plans to charge $11.99 per month for a blue badge on Facebook and Instagram.
On Sunday, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced the launch of a new subscription service called Meta Verified. Users will be able to utilize this service to verify their identity and add the much-desired blue check mark to their Instagram and Facebook profiles. The subscription fee for the service will be up to $15 per month, marking a new revenue stream for the company. However, this move into the subscription space has had mixed success for Twitter, a smaller rival of Facebook.
Meta Verified Subscription: Benefits, Pricing, and Availability Details
Starting this week, the subscription service will be launched first in New Zealand and Australia, and will be available on the web for $11.99 per month or $14.99 on Apple’s iOS. It is not clear when the service will be made available for purchase through the company’s Android apps. Meta has stated that users will be able to verify their identity by using their government-issued ID cards. The subscription service will offer various benefits, including increased visibility and reach, better protection against impersonation attacks, and direct access to customer support.
Zuckerberg said
Meta Verified is about strengthening authenticity and security across our services
He stated that the subscription service will be expanded to “other nations shortly,” but did not provide a date. We’ve asked Meta some more questions and will update the story as soon as we hear back.
Meta’s Revenue Hit by Apple’s Privacy Changes as Advertising Model Takes a Blow
Meta’s earnings have fallen in recent years as a result of Apple’s decision to implement rigorous privacy measures on iOS, which limit the social firm’s ability to track users’ online habits. The Zuckerberg-led business, which derives virtually all of its revenue from advertising, estimated last year that Apple’s decision will cost it more than $10 billion in lost ad revenue by 2022.
Meta wrote in a blog post.
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
Social Media Companies Embrace Subscription Model to Boost Revenue
The announcement on Sunday comes on the heels of social platform Snap launching its own subscription service last year, through which it has already converted over a million users into paid customers, and Elon Musk revamping Twitter’s subscription service, Twitter Blue, to include a variety of new features, including the blue check mark. Twitter Blue has recently been expanded to over a dozen regions, including India and Indonesia. According to The Information, just roughly 180,000 accounts have joined up for Twitter Blue as of mid-January.
Musk, a strong opponent of Facebook services, is wagering that Twitter Blue will become a big income generator for Twitter, which he purchased last year for $44 billion.
One of the most wanted features on social networking platforms for a long time has been the blue checkmark. Before, only public individuals like politicians, actors, musicians, sportsmen, and journalists were allowed to use it.
Musk has slammed the notion, contending that the function ought to be accessible to anyone. He has previously said that anybody who obtained the blue tick mark without purchasing a Twitter Blue subscription will ultimately lose it.
Meta said
As we test and learn, there will be no changes to accounts on Instagram and Facebook that are already verified based on prior requirements, including authenticity and notability