Meta To Launch $12 Blue Badge for Instagram and Facebook

Meta is releasing a paid subscription service that allows Instagram and Facebook users to acquire a blue check mark for their account, along with added customer support and account protection. 

"Meta Verified" is rolling out this week for a price of $11.99 a month on the web and $14.99 on iOS and Android mobile.  

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” explained Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg through a Facebook post and his new Instagram channel. 

Users can subscribe by verifying their identity using a government-issued ID. They can then enjoy the coveted verified badge, “increased visibility and reach” and “extra impersonation protection” from other accounts. Moreover, subscribed users will also have access to exclusive stickers for Stories and Reels and 100 free stars per month. 

Meta Verified will be available in New Zealand and Australia this week and in other countries “soon.”

In a blog post, the company stated that accounts on Instagram and Facebook that have already been verified based on prior requirements will remain unchanged.   

“Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses and our community at large. 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,” explained Meta. 

The tech giant’s service announcement comes shortly after Apple launched its new privacy feature, App Tracking Transparency (ATT), partially restricting app developers and advertisers from tracking user behavior. Meta reported that this move could cost the company $10 billion in lost revenue.  

Last November, Twitter also launched a paid subscription service of its own. Twitter Blue allows users to get verified with the blue check mark, increases their account protection and makes their Twitter experience ad-free. However, the initial launch drew negative feedback from users, leading the Musk-led company to relaunch its service with reworked features in December.