Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has begun the rollout of its paid verification service, Meta Verified, in the United Kingdom​1​.

Meta Verified: A New Subscription Service

The Meta Verified subscription service can be compared to Twitter Blue, which offers users a blue tick for £9.99 a month, signifying a verified status. Users of Facebook and Instagram aged 18 and above can sign up for Meta Verified. The service requires users to submit an official ID for verification. The primary advantage of the service is that it offers a verified badge, which Meta claims will provide users with more protection from impersonation. To ensure this, Meta will monitor subscribed accounts to detect any attempts at creating fake versions​1​.

Pricing and Availability

The Meta Verified service will be available in the UK over the next few weeks. The subscription costs £9.99 for the web service and £11.99 for use on iOS and Android phones. Users who have registered their interest in Meta Verified will receive a notification when the service becomes available to them​1​.

meta verified instagram

Features of Meta Verified

Meta Verified offers a range of features to its subscribers, including:

  • A verified badge confirming the authenticity of the user’s account, authenticated with a government ID.
  • Enhanced protection from impersonation through proactive account monitoring.
  • Access to real person support for common account issues.
  • Exclusive features that allow users to express themselves in unique ways​1​.

Meta Verified’s Global Presence

The verified service has been available in the United States since March and in Australia and New Zealand since February. When Meta initially launched the service in Australia and New Zealand, the aim was to help up-and-coming creators grow their presence and build a community faster. Upon the commencement of testing in the US, Meta stated it was “removing increased reach as a subscription service for now, as we gather more feedback and further evolve Meta Verified”​1​.

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Following in the Footsteps of Twitter Blue

Meta’s move towards a subscription service comes after Twitter’s CEO Elon Musk decided to implement a subscription service, Twitter Blue, in November 2022. This decision was controversial at the time as it replaced the traditional practice of using blue ticks to verify that high-profile accounts belonged to the people they claimed to be​1​.