Meta is rolling out a subscription service for its Facebook and Instagram users. The subscription service is called Meta Verified and will be rolled out first in Australia and New Zealand this week, followed by other countries, Reuters has reported.
According to the report, the service will let users verify their accounts using a government ID to get a blue badge. The service will cost $11.99 (around Rs550) monthly on the web and $14.99 (around Rs680) monthly on Apple’s iOS and Android platforms.
Along with a verification badge, the subscription service includes “proactive account protection, access to account support, and increased visibility and reach,” a Meta spokesperson said.
According to Meta’s spokesperson, users must be at least 18, meet minimum account activity requirements, and submit a government ID to qualify for proactive account protection.
The subscriptions will also include “proactive monitoring” for account impersonation.
“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in an Instagram post.
After Meta announced its subscription service, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said it was “inevitable” that Meta would follow Twitter and charge for verified status via subscription services.
Musk was responding to a Tweet which said Zuckerberg copied Twitter by charging for user verification statuses.
Tech analysts say the move has been prompted by the urgent need for new revenue streams after Meta suffered a 40% drop in profits last year and was forced to lay off thousands of staff. Some are skeptical about the demand for the premium service, accusing the social media giant of being short on new ideas.
Facebook and Instagram’s advertising model has reportedly been hurt by curbs around their abuse of privacy by tracking users across the internet. Eighteen months ago, Apple made major changes to its iOS operating system to stop Meta from harvesting excessive user data which it then sells to advertisers.
Apple users can now opt out of Meta’s tracking feature — a huge consequence considering more than half of the US population owns an iPhone. Google’s Android is now adopting similar restrictions through its Privacy Sandbox controls. These curbs make it more difficult for marketers to know whether products were bought as a result of Facebook or Instagram ads.
Sources: Reuters, DW
