Facebook and Instagram users will soon need to pay to be verified on the social media platforms, as Meta follows in the footsteps of rival platform Twitter.
\nMark Zuckerberg, Meta\u2019s chief executive, announced in a Facebook post on Sunday that the service would first roll out in Australia and New Zealand later this week.
\nThe company said it would cost US$11.99 a month on web or US$14.99 on iOS and Android (or, in Australia, $19.99 on web or $24.99 on iOS and Android).
\nZuckerberg said in addition to a blue badge the service would offer \u201cextra impersonation protection\u201d, improved reach for verified users and direct access to customer support.
\nIn a blog post, Meta said it would rely on government ID documents to prove the identity of verified accounts, to avoid the embarrassment of accounts impersonating people and brands \u2013 as happened when Twitter initially rolled out its paid verification service.
\nAccounts must also have a posting history and users must be at least 18 years old.
\nThe service would not be available to businesses at this stage, Meta said.
\nThe increased visibility of posts from verified users would \u201cdepend on a subscriber\u2019s existing audience size and the topic of their posts\u201d, the company said. Those with smaller audiences might see more of an impact.
\nMeta cut 11,000 staff in November \u2013 the equivalent of 13% of its workforce \u2013 amid falling ad revenue and economic downturn. The company\u2019s share price fell by more than 70% in 2022 before a rebound and in July it reported its first ever fall in revenue.
\nTwitter\u2019s CEO, Elon Musk, responded to the news in a tweet saying it was \u201cinevitable\u201d Meta would follow Twitter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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