Mark Zuckerberg revealed Sunday that Facebook and Instagram will begin a paid membership service starting at $11.99 per month that will allow users to verify their accounts, after a similar move by Elon Musk at Twitter.
Facebook Verified, which will launch this week in Australia and New Zealand, will allow users to “verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and direct access to customer support,” as per Zuckerberg.
“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” he stated in a Facebook statement.
The soical media gaint added that verified Facebook and Instagram profiles will remain the same and that only people who are at least 18 years old would be permitted to subscribe.
Musk’s initial attempts to introduce a similar service at rival social media network Twitter last year backfired horribly, scaring away advertisers and raising serious concerns about the site’s future. He was compelled to temporarily halt the program before resuming it in December to muted reaction.
Source: Roundnews24