Facebook and Instagram users in Australia and New Zealand are now able to pay for a blue tick verification.
Starting this week, Meta Verified will cost users $11.99 (£9.96) a month on web, or $14.99 (£12.41) for iPhone users.
It is hoped that the blue tick verification will help to improve security and authenticity on both Facebook and Instagram. Both social media apps have been plagued with fake celebrity accounts over recent years, so this move should be a step in the right direction.
As things stand, Meta Verified is only available to individual accounts. In the future though, it is expected that the paid verification badge will be open to businesses.
What does paid verification do?
Firstly, Meta Verified will give paying users a blue badge to help confirm their authenticity. Additional benefits will also include increased visibility, “extra impersonation protection”, and direct access to customer support.
In order to avoid the embarrassment of accounts impersonating persons and brands, Meta stated that it will rely on government ID credentials to authenticate the identity of verified accounts.
Though the paid verification is only currently available in Australia and New Zealand, Mark Zuckerberg said it would be “soon” rolled out in other countries.
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