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Feb. 19 (UPI) — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a new paid verification service is being tested for Facebook and Instagram.
Meta Verified is opening testing to users in New Zealand and Australia later this week, the company said in a press release.
“We want to make it easier for people, especially creators, to establish a presence so they can focus on building their communities on Instagram or Facebook,” the press release said.
The subscription service which targets content creators will cost $11.99 on the web and $14.99 for iOS and Android users. With the subscription, users will receive a verification badge, much like they do with Twitter Blue. It also comes with access to “increased visibility and reach” for creators, protection from impersonation and customer service.
“Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses and our community at large,” the press release from Meta said.
“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.”
For a user to be eligible for verification they must be at least 18 years old, submit a government issued ID and meet “minimum activity requirements.”
The launch of Twitter’s paid verification subscription suffered a rough launch marred by accounts impersonating celebrities and government agencies, as well as questions over ethical concerns about content moderation. Twitter Blue quickly went offline as the company polished its policy, most notably cracking down on impersonators.