Meta introduces $12 monthly subscription for Facebook, Instagram verification

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram is set to charge users for verification on the two social media platforms as it moves to shore up its revenue.

Similar to the step taken by Elon Musk when he took over Twitter last year, Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said the blue badge which was hitherto free will now cost $12 a month.  

And just as Twitter charges iPhone users higher for the blue subscription, they are also going to pay more for Facebook and Instagram verification. According to Zuckerberg, iPhone users will pay $15 monthly as opposed to $12 for web and Android users.  

Per the announcement by Zuckerberg, the subscription service will be rolled out this week starting in Australia and New Zealand, while more countries are to start getting the service soon.  

Meta verified: Announcing the introduction of the subscription service on Sunday via his Facebook and Instagram pages, Mark Zuckerberg said: 

• “This week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support.  
• “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services. Meta Verified starts at $11.99 / month on web or $14.99 / month on iOS. We’ll be rolling out in Australia and New Zealand this week and more countries soon. 

Nairametrics recalls that Twitter currently charges Android users $8 per month for its blue subscription, while iPhone users pay $11. On both packages, Facebook and Instagram users will be paying higher for the subscription.   

The extra charge for iPhone users is a reflection of the 30% cut that Apple takes on revenues from apps for iOS, its operating system for iPhones and iPads. 

Pressed for more revenue: Meta which laid off 11,000 workers last year also saw its core business of serving ads being challenged leading to a revenue decline in Q4 and the full year of 2022. The company’s revenue for Q4 2022 stood at $32.17 billion, a decrease of 4% while full-year revenue declined by 1% year on year to $116.61 billion. 

• Zuckerberg during Meta’s earnings call earlier this month reiterated his commitment to returning the company to profitable growth, saying: “We’re going to be more proactive about cutting projects that aren’t performing or may no longer be as crucial, but my main focus is on increasing the efficiency of how we execute our top priorities.” 

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