Facebook and Instagram start selling verified badge

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced rollout plans for Meta Verified, a subscription bundle that includes a verified badge.

A gradual test of the service will commence this week in Australia and New Zealand, according to a statement by Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, on Sunday, February 19, 2023.

The badge authenticates users' accounts with government ID, proactive protection, access to direct human support, and increased visibility and reach.

Applicants for the service must be 18, meet minimum activity requirements, and submit a government ID that matches their profile name and image.

"People can purchase a monthly subscription for USD$11.99 on the web and USD$14.99 on iOS and Android," the statement read.

Zuckerberg, 38, said the service will help creators on Facebook and Instagram grow their presence and build community faster.

While the service remains in its testing phase, there will be no changes to accounts already verified on the platforms.

Following in Twitter's footsteps

Twitter CEO, Elon Musk [Hannibal Hanschke/Getty Images] Business Insider USA

Last year, fellow social media giant, Twitter, started selling its verified badge for $8 monthly for the web and $11 monthly for iOS shortly after billionaire, Elon Musk, bought the company.

The November 2022 rollout of the feature caused chaos as many trolls used the authenticity of the bought badge to impersonate prominent people and companies. This forced the suspension of the feature before it was relaunched shortly after.

Last week, the company announced that only users subscribed to the Twitter Blue package will be privileged to use SMS two-factor authentication. Starting in March, non-subscribers will be stripped of the security feature but can still use an authenticator app or physical security key.