Meta has launched its paid verification program, Meta Verified, in the UK for £9.99 a month each for Instagram and Facebook. The subscription is aimed at creators and comes with benefits such as proactive counterfeit protection and access to customer support, along with a blue badge for verification.
The company first launched the plan in February for users in Australia and New Zealand. In March, Meta Verified became available to users in the US.
Meta announced its verified program after Twitter, owned by Elon Musk, relaunched its subscription called Twitter Blue with paid verification.
As a social media consultant Matt Navarra noted, the company posted the announcement on the Meta Creators Community UK group. It said the program was built on feedback from emerging creators.
In particular, users must pay separately for Instagram and Facebook verification. Users paying for the subscription must be at least 18 years old, must enable two-factor authentication, and provide government-issued ID for identity verification.
In addition, Meta requires subscribers to have a display name that matches the government ID. This decision has come under scrutiny from sex workers, trans creators and other privacy advocates for revealing the identities of certain people who may not wish to reveal their real names for their own safety.
Currently, Meta’s rules say that subscribers cannot change their usernames, names, and profile pictures. However, the company said it was working on tools and methods to make that happen.
Unlike Twitter, Meta has no plans to remove legacy verification granted to notable accounts. However, there is no visual distinction between a legacy verification badge and the new subscription verification badge for Meta Verified.