Facebook and Instagram are testing selling you blue checks for $12 a month

[Eric]

Facebook and Instagram are testing selling you blue checks for $12 a month

Now you can pay for verification on Facebook and Instagram.

www.theverge.com

‘Meta Verified’ will give you a blue badge along with several other benefits, including increased visibility, protection against impersonation, priority customer support, and more.

Meta’s testing paid verification for Instagram and Facebook for $11.99 per month on web and $14.99 per month on mobile. In an update on Instagram, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that a “Meta Verified” account will grant users a verified badge, increased visibility on the platforms, prioritized customer support, and more. The feature’s rolling out to Australia and New Zealand this week and will arrive in more countries “soon.”

“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,” Zuckerberg writes. “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”

 

[Edd]

Musk bought Twitter and people kept coming. He’s charging stupid fees and people keep coming. Meta’s like “Huh, users pay for this garbage?”

Seriously, delete these POS apps.

 

[fooferdoggie]

what the hell is customer support on Facebook? is that like when your post gets flagged as a nude photo when its not and you can actually get a really person?

 

[Eric]

Musk bought Twitter and people kept coming. He’s charging stupid fees and people keep coming. Meta’s like “Huh, users pay for this garbage?”

Seriously, delete these POS apps.

But they aren't growing, in fact they're hemorrhaging users. This seems more like a strategy to milk your existing users rather than gain more.

Twitter to lose more than 32 million users worldwide by 2024: Report | IT World Canada News

A report released yesterday by research service Insider Intelligence is predicting that Twitter will experience a significant exodus over the next two years that, worldwide, will total upwards of 32.7 million users by the end of 2024. The base assumption for the forecast, it stated, is that with...

www.itworldcanada.com

Twitter to lose more than 32 million users worldwide by 2024: Report

Insider Intelligence, which began tracking Twitter in 2008, is projecting “flat growth” this year, which will amount to 368.4 million monthly active users worldwide. That number will decline to 353.9 million users in 2023 – a 3.9 per cent drop – and then drop a further 5.1 per cent in 2024 to 335.7 million users.

 

[mollyc]

There is a time where I would have paid for a subscription to IG to avoid adds and set preferences to how my feed was arranged. But that day has long come and gone.

 

[Eric]

There is a time where I would have paid for a subscription to IG to avoid adds and set preferences to how my feed was arranged. But that day has long come and gone.

It sounds like they'll be selective at first with invites but if I get one for IG I'll definitely pay for it, I post on a few different venues but IG is the one I care about the most and will take any edge I can get. Their algorithm seems well designed and works for you if you have genuine content and interaction with your base.

My biggest draw to it is that gaining followers there is the most organic of any of them, it gives everyone a level playing field and takes a lot of time to grow and curate.

 

[mollyc]

It sounds like they'll be selective at first with invites but if I get one for IG I'll definitely pay for it, I post on a few different venues but IG is the one I care about the most and will take any edge I can get. Their algorithm seems well designed and works for you if you have genuine content and interaction with your base.

My biggest draw to it is that gaining followers there is the most organic of any of them, it gives everyone a level playing field and takes a lot of time to grow and curate.

Yes, you are building a business so I can see how it would be appealing. But I refuse to give money to Meta.

 

[Eric]

Yes, you are building a business so I can see how it would be appealing. But I refuse to give money to Meta.

Believe me, I get the sentiment. I hate that IG is tied to FB but I really do keep just to IG personally and as much as they've tried to integrate them, IG has still managed to stand on their own.

 

[Eric]

I did end up getting an invite a couple of weeks ago, then came the official verification process yesterday which is pretty detailed, had to send in my drivers license (front and back), setup MFA and pass a couple of other checks. I keep reading stories of those who aren't passing it so it's pretty strict.

I now have my blue checkmark, what that really means in the long run I don't know but at the very least in the eyes of IG I'm genuinely who I say I am and I think that's the biggest benefit.

 

[mollyc]

i just noticed your checkmark!

 

[Eric]

i just noticed your checkmark!

I feel so important! Going to enjoy it while it lasts, from what I can see it's about to be a free for all and there's no real exceptions on who can get it as long as you pay for it.

 

[dada_dave]

I feel so important! Going to enjoy it while it lasts, from what I can see it's about to be a free for all and there's no real exceptions on who can get it as long as you pay for it.

So I guess in this case it covers an actual verification process? - unlike Twitter where it’s only proof you paid $8. You know if Elon had implemented that I bet a lot more professionals who use Twitter would’ve gone for it (along with not doing all the other shit he did, but that’s covered in the other thread so I won’t duplicate here especially out of the news section). The evidence so far is that even with the threat of removing “legacy” blue checks (happening soon I think) most organizations and people are refusing to pay.

I hate to give “Meta” it’s due but this seems more sensible - not for me since I don’t even use the platform , but in general.

 

[Eric]

So I guess in this case it covers an actual verification process? - unlike Twitter where it’s only proof you paid $8. You know if Elon had implemented that I bet a lot more professionals who use Twitter would’ve gone for it (along with not doing all the other shit he did, but that’s covered in the other thread so I won’t duplicate here especially out of the news section). The evidence so far is that even with the threat of removing “legacy” blue checks (happening soon I think) most organizations and people are refusing to pay.

I hate to give “Meta” it’s due but this seems more sensible - not for me since I don’t even use the platform , but in general.

Right, it's pretty official and I was careful to get them exactly what they asked for the right way. I keep seeing stories that people are rejected over small things, like your profile image has glasses but your license doesn't or they had complaints against them at some point, etc. Not sure what they do over at Twitter for this stuff TBH.

 

[dada_dave]

Right, it's pretty official and I was careful to get them exactly what they asked for the right way. I keep seeing stories that people are rejected over small things, like your profile image has glasses but your license doesn't or they had complaints against them at some point, etc. Not sure what they do over at Twitter for this stuff TBH.

From what I’m told, nothing. You just pay Twitter $8 on your credit card a month and they give you a blue check. That’s it. The old verification system was different of course since like what you’re describing it was designed to ensure you were you who you said you were.