Meta launches paid verification subscription service in U.S.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, launched a paid subscription service in the U.S. on Friday — allowing users on both platforms to pay for verification.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement on his "Meta Channel," which is one of the latest features the company has rolled out for creators to "directly reach their audience and form deeper connections with their communities," the company said.
Meta Verified is only available to personal accounts and will cost $14.99 per month if purchased on an iOS or Android device, and $11.99 per month if purchased on the web.
"Meta Verified is rolling out in the U.S. today," Zuckerberg said on his Meta Channel. "You can get a badge, proactive impersonation protection, and direct access to customer support."
Zuckerberg's decision to launch a subscription service for the social media platform comes after the Elon Musk-owned Twitter relaunched its own subscription service, Twitter Blue, last December, after a previous launch attempt failed.
As of now, the company is currently making the service available to users in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. However, people can join a waitlist to receive a notification when it will be available in their region.
Users that currently have verified badges can also apply for the Meta Verified subscription, but the company said it does not plan to make any changes to those that have already been verified based on prior requirements.
The launch of the service comes as Meta seeks to cut costs and improve financial performance following two rounds of layoffs, the latest of which occurred this week and saw the company lay off about 10,000 workers. Last November, about 11,000 Meta workers were also laid off.