Meta platform users will soon be able to follow Twitter’s lead by affixing a blue badge to their profiles as a token of authenticity and by boosting their posts—for a fee. Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg announced the subscription service for Facebook and Instagram on Sunday, ending almost 20 years of a business model based on free services and advertising.
The paid subscription, called Meta Verified, offers several benefits. Subscribers can verify their accounts on Facebook and Instagram by providing an official ID and receiving a blue badge that confirms their identity. Their accounts will receive stronger protection against identity theft through proactive monitoring, and they will have direct access to customer‑service teams if problems arise. Posts, photos, and videos from verified users will appear higher in search results, comment sections, and recommendations, giving them greater visibility. Meta also promises new creative functionalities. The service will launch in Australia and New Zealand this week before expanding to the United States and other markets. It will cost $11.99 per month for users who sign up via the web and $14.99 for those using mobile apps, the higher price offsetting commissions taken by Apple and Google.
The subscription is voluntary and limited to users over 18. It is not yet available to businesses, though Meta does not rule out future expansion. The service primarily targets content creators, a decision driven by requests from creators seeking to grow their businesses. Meta’s move comes as traditional social networks face declining user numbers and revenue. In 2022, Meta’s ad revenue fell for the first time since its 2012 IPO, pressured by inflation‑driven cuts to advertisers’ budgets and competition for users’ attention across many apps. Regulatory actions in Europe and privacy changes by Apple have also limited the amount of personal data platforms can collect.
Analyst Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies notes that the battle among platforms is increasingly about attracting and retaining creators, whose content drives engagement. However, other platforms are also introducing paid features. Snapchat, Reddit, and Discord are proposing monthly fees for additional tools, while Twitter—now owned by Elon Musk—launched a verification service costing $7 per month online and $11 on iPhone, offering a blue check, better post promotion, fewer ads, and longer tweets. Milanesi believes Meta’s subscription aims to diversify revenue streams, adding that after Twitter’s launch, other social media companies thought “well, we might as well try.” She cautions that the creator‑focused justification may be more of a marketing pitch than genuine value for creators.
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