New Delhi: Facebook and Instagram users in the US will soon be able to pay to receive a blue check on their account, CNN Business reported. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram that Meta began testing a payment verification option for US users of the two social networks on Friday. The company plans to gradually roll out the paid option to more US customers over the next few weeks.
First tested in Australia and New Zealand in February, Meta Verified starts at USD 11.99 per month on the web or USD 14.99 on mobile. CNN Business reported that in addition to verification, the option offers perks such as added protection against fake accounts and direct access to customer support. ,Also Read: SBI NPS: Invest To Get Great Returns – Check Tax Benefits Also,
To avoid fake accounts, users who want to get a blue badge must provide an official ID that matches their profile name and photo. According to CNN Business, users must also be above 18 years of age to be eligible for the new service. ,Also Read: Breakups Can Be Profitable! Check out this couple’s heartbreak insurance fund scheme.,
“This new feature is about increasing the authenticity and security of our services,” Zuckerberg wrote in an Instagram broadcast channel in February. Meta joins other platforms, such as Discord, Reddit, and YouTube, that have their own subscription-based models.
CNN Business said Twitter relaunched its verified subscription service, Twitter Blue, in December after the launch of fake “verified” accounts, forcing it to remove the feature. Twitter Blue costs USD 11 per month for iOS and Android subscribers, part of owner Elon Musk’s effort to expand its subscription business after buying the platform for $44 billion.
For Meta, the move offers the promise of another revenue stream beyond advertising, at a time when its core ad sales business is under pressure from a number of factors, including privacy changes at Apple and fears of a recession. Budget tightening, CNN Business said Saturday. .
