{"id":706,"date":"2023-05-16T14:39:51","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T14:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/facebook-and-instagram-paid-verification-starts-in-uk\/"},"modified":"2023-05-16T14:39:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T14:39:51","slug":"facebook-and-instagram-paid-verification-starts-in-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/facebook-and-instagram-paid-verification-starts-in-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook and Instagram paid verification starts in UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Facebook and Instagram paid verification starts in UK<\/p>\n

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\"Instagram<\/picture><\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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By Shiona McCallum & Tom Gerken<\/div>\n
Technology reporters<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Facebook parent company Meta has begun rolling out a paid verification service in the UK. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Similar to Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue, the service gives Facebook and Instagram users a blue tick from \u00a39.99 per month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Subscribers must be at least 18 years old and submit a government ID to qualify.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The feature is already available in the US, Australia and New Zealand. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It will not immediately be accessible to all in the UK. Instead, people who registered interest in the service will receive a notification that they can get it first. It will then roll out to others in the UK in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Those approved by Meta will get a verified badge, which the tech firm says will give them more protection from impersonation, in part because it will monitor their accounts to check for fakers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It says verified users will also get “access to a real person” if they have any issue with their account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Twitter verification<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The move comes after Mr Musk implemented the premium Twitter Blue subscription in November 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The service proved controversial at the time as it replaced the previous system, where blue ticks were used to verify that high-profile accounts belonged to the people they claimed to be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Musk removed what became termed “legacy” verification ticks from account holders on 20 April – reserving the “verified” blue badge for those who had paid for Twitter Blue, and authenticated their phone number.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The blue tick removal process led to mass confusion as high-profile users like Hillary Clinton lost their verification badges and subscribers were able to edit their own username to impersonate them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Twitter later chose to return blue ticks to a number of celebrities, governments and organisations for free.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Meta<\/picture><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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Both Facebook and Instagram already have a verification system for notable figures, and Meta does not appear to be planning to scrap this anytime soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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According to the support pages for the platforms, as well as subscribing to Meta Verified, users can still apply for a verified badge if they are “a public figure, celebrity or brand and meet the account and eligibility requirements”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The decision to add a paid-for verification system amounts to a change of direction for Facebook and Instagram, which have previously both been free to use in all circumstances since they rose to prominence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The services have relied on advertising income, which makes up the vast majority of Meta’s revenue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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While both can still be used for free, the decision to add a paid tier which increases prominence is an attempt to find other ways of monetising the platforms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It comes six months after the company announced 11,000 job losses as a result of what it said was over-investment during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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At the time, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg said he had predicted an increase in the company’s growth but that ultimately had not happened.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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