Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is testing a subscription service which will allow users to pay to get a blue tick verification.
Meta Verified will cost $11.99 (£9.96) a month on web, or $14.99 for iPhone users, Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram Sunday.
It will be available in Australia and New Zealand this week.
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta chief executive, said the move will improve security and authenticity on the social media apps.
The move comes after Elon Musk, owner of Twitter, implemented the premium Twitter Blue subscription in November 2022.
Meta’s paid subscription service is not yet available for businesses, but any individual can pay for verification.
Badges – or “blue ticks”- have been used as verification tools for high-profile accounts to signify their authenticity.
The subscription would give paying users a blue badge, increased visibility of their posts, protection from impersonators and easier access to customer service, Meta said in a post on their website.
