In December 2020, Twitter unveiled its subscription service, Twitter Blue. There were mixed reactions from the public. In a similar move, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, launched Meta Verified, a subscription service. Users can get a blue checkmark on their Instagram and Facebook accounts for up to $15 per month. Users can verify their identity using their government-issued ID cards by paying $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 on iOS. In addition to increased visibility and reach, Meta stated that the subscription service would enhance customer support and protect subscribers from impersonation attacks.
The subscription service aims to increase authenticity and security across all Facebook services.” New Zealand and Australia will launch the new service this week, and other countries will follow.
It has been more than 15 years since Meta’s founding that it hasn’t charged its customers for most of its services. After Apple introduced stringent privacy changes to iOS, the company’s revenues have been hit in recent years. As a result, Meta predicts that it will lose more than $10 billion in ad revenue by 2022 because it can’t track users’ internet activities. Meta Verified is a step towards the company’s plan to build a subscription offering for all users.
Prior to this, the blue checkmark was reserved for celebrities, sports figures, and journalists. Users will be able to trust authentic accounts through Meta’s subscription service. As of 2022, Snap’s own subscription service has reportedly converted over a million users into subscribers. Twitter’s subscription service has been revamped by Elon Musk to include additional features, including a blue checkmark.
