Facebook, Instagram To Get Paid Verification

Meta has said it plans to introduce paid-for verification for Facebook and Instagram, following a similar move by Twitter.

Meta Verified is to launch initially in Australia and New Zealand this week, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Sunday.

It is to cost US$11.99 (£10) a month on the web, or US$14.99 for iPhone or Android. In Australia the prices are to be AU$19.99 for web or AU$24.99 for iPhone or Android.

Zuckerberg said the feature would offer improved “impersonation protection”, wider reach for users’ posts and direct access to customer support.

Impersonation risk

Twitter initially withdrew its paid Twitter Blue verification after introducing it in November after users impersonated high-profile figures and companies.

Zuckerberg said the account’s name would have to match that on government-issued ID and the user’s profile picture would have to include their face.

Accounts must also have a posting history and users must be over 18 years of age.

The service isn’t yet available for businesses, Zuckerberg said. He said other countries would get the offering “soon”.

Twitter SMS authentication

Meta also said it would offer “exclusive stickers” on Facebook and Instagram stories and Facebook reels.

Twitter owner Elon Musk responded to the news with a Twitter post reading, “Inevitable.”

Separately, Twitter said it would only allow paid subscribers to use SMS for two-factor authentication, starting on 20 March.

Twitter said all users would continue to be able to use two-factor authentication via third-party apps, which are considered more secure.

‘Scam’

In the company’s last transparency report before Musk acquired the company Twitter said only 2.6 percent of active accounts used two-factor authentication, but 74.4 percent of those used SMS.

Musk has previously claimed Twitter was being “scammed” $60m a year by bot accounts set up to trigger the two-factor authentication process and make revenues from the Twitter text messages.