Mark Zuckerberg announced on his Facebook page earlier this week that Facebook and Instagram would be rolling out a ‘Meta Verified’ subscription service. The announcement went as follows:

“Good morning and new product announcement: this week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support. This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services. Meta Verified starts at $11.99 / month on web or $14.99 / month on iOS. We’ll be rolling out in Australia and New Zealand this week and more countries soon.”

What is Meta Verified & How Can It Benefit You

Meta Verified is a subscription to Meta which includes both Facebook and Instagram that provides:

– Blue verified badge

– Extra account protection

– Direct access to support

– More visibility and/or reach

– Monitoring of impersonating accounts pretending to be you

– Exclusive stickers on Facebook and Instagram Stories and Facebook Reels

As noted by Zuckerberg himself, the subscription will cost $11.99 per month on web or $14.99 per month on IOS, which we assume will be the more popular option. 

Requirements for Meta Verified

In order to qualify to apply to Meta Verified you must meet the following requirements:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have a government-issued ID 
• Use your legal, government name on your profile

Things to Consider

Our take? It’s hard to say without trying Meta Verified for ourselves but, from the information released on Facebook.com, we can weigh out some pros and cons for those considering the subscription when it becomes available for Meta users in the United States. 

Pros include added security, direct access to customer care (anyone who’s tried to contact customer service for Instagram can attest this is nothing short of a miracle), plus more visibility, according to Facebook. 

Facebook noted one major con we need to outline. According to them, “businesses are not eligible to apply for Meta Verified at this time.” So this service will only be available for individual users. 

An Influencer By Any Other Name…

Facebook seems to be pushing the subscription to entice people to get added exposure to their profiles. In their own words, subscription holders will gain, “access to increased visibility.” Although this sounds dandy, it’s important to consider that many influencers do not go by their birth or government name. It may in fact be a turnoff for some big-time celebrities and influencers. Will Eminem join as Marshall Mathers? Cher join as Cherilyn Sarkisian? Lady Gaga subscribe as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta? Not likely. 

All things considered, will you be giving Meta Verified a go once it hits the U.S.? Let us know.