Meta to Charge for Blue Badge on Facebook and Instagram

In a move that has raised eyebrows among social media users and industry experts, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it will begin charging $11.99 (or $14.99 if purchased on Apple’s operating system, iOS) a month for a blue badge on the two platforms. The blue badge is a symbol of authenticity and credibility and is currently given to accounts that have been verified as genuine by the platforms.

 Meta Verified, the new subscription service offered by Meta, will be first launched in Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand to other countries in the near future. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's chief executive, the service is a "gradual test" aimed at increasing authenticity and security across the platforms.

To qualify for Meta Verified, users are required to provide a government-issued identification to prove their identity. Furthermore, those who subscribe will only be permitted to use their legal names on their profile pages, and will receive additional safeguards against potential impersonation, according to Zuckerberg. The service will soon be launched in the United States, however, Meta has yet to announce other countries where Meta Verified will be available.

The announcement has sparked a debate about the ethics of charging for verification, especially for small businesses and content creators who may not have the resources to pay for the subscription. Some users have also raised privacy concerns over submitting government ID to the platforms.

On the other hand, some experts argue that charging for verification could improve the quality of content on social media by weeding out fake and spammy accounts. Twitter has been charging for verified accounts since 2017, and some users see it as a way to establish credibility and gain more visibility on the platform.

However, it remains to be seen how many users will be willing to pay for a blue badge on Facebook and Instagram, especially as the platforms already have a verification process that is free of charge. Some users may see it as an unnecessary expense, while others may view it as a way for Meta to monetize a feature that was previously available for free.

Overall, Meta's decision to charge for verification has stirred up a debate about the value of authenticity and credibility on social media, and whether it should come at a cost. As the subscription service rolls out in more countries, it will be interesting to see how users respond and whether Meta's efforts to increase security and authenticity on its platforms will be successful.