Instagram to launch new $11.99/month ‘Meta Verified’ subscription with verification badge
Tom Sykes
Posted On 19/02/2023 
As rumored at the beginning of the month, Facebook-owned Instagram may soon take a leaf out of Twitter’s book by allowing users to buy a blue verification badge, with a line of code discovered referencing a “paid blue badge” and a new subscription.
According to social media consultant and industry analyst Matt Navarra, the new verified subscription service will be called ‘Meta Verified,’ offering subscribers customer support, prioritization in comments, exclusive stickers to be used in Stories, plus the platform’s verification badge.
Last year, as part of Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s rampant efforts to monetise the platform following his turbulent $44 billion buyout, Twitter allowed any user to purchase the once-sought after blue verification badge as part of the service’s pay-monthly Twitter Blue subscription, leading to a spate of significant impersonations and confusion on the platform as any user could purchase the once-meaningful blue badge and claim their account represented whoever they wished, with no clear way to differentiate genuine accounts from impersonators.
Despite the flaws with Twitter’s new pay-to-play verification system, Facebook-owned Instagram appears to be developing a similar feature that would allow users to add a blue verification badge to their profile by subscribing to a new pay-monthly subscription service.
Meta Verified will start at $11.99 per month on the web / $14.99 on iOS
Rolling out in Australian and New Zealand first
Mark Zuckerberg just confirmed info via his new Instagram Channel pic.twitter.com/XZ6Tv42Iw2
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) February 19, 2023
According to Navarra, the new ‘Meta Verified’ subscription will only be available to individuals and not business accounts.
“Once your profile has been verified for Meta Verified subscriptions, changing your account username, profile name, DOB, profile photo will require your account to go through the Meta Verfied subscription and verification process again,” says the analyst.
It is understood that the service will be available in Australian and New Zealand first, starting at $11.99 per month on the web / $14.99 on iOS.
