‘Why would Instagram copy Twitter?’ Users SLAM Meta’s plan to charge fee for verification

On Sunday, Meta announced that it would soon be charging social media users a monthly subscription fee to be verified on Facebook and Instagram.

Verification results in a ‘blue tick’ badge appearing on one’s profile, confirming it is being run by the person or company it claims to represent.

Acquiring one is currently free, but Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that, later this week, users will be able to add one by paying $12 each month for ‘Meta Verified’.

The new product comes just two months after Elon Musk rolled out ‘Twitter Blue’, an $8/month subscription service for blue tick verification on the rival social network.

Meta users have been vocal about their distaste for the ‘utterly ridiculous’ Meta Verified, asking ‘why would Instagram copy Twitter?’.

One user tweeted: ‘This will be the biggest Facebook flop since they fubared VR. How utterly ridiculous.’

Another added: ‘Why would Instagram copy Twitter? Instagram is 100x more successful in every metric. It’s stupid.’

Some users suggested that ‘social media is becoming pay to play’ with the launches of Meta Verified and Twitter Blue.

Meta boss Mr Zuckerberg posted on his official Facebook and Instagram pages on Sunday, announcing the new service.

He wrote: ‘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.

‘This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.’

However, not everyone has been critical, as some are pleased that Meta Verified subscribers will get ‘direct access to customer support’ and ‘extra impersonation protection’.

One user responded: ‘Excellent! Keeps all safe and its just what we need.’

Another added: ‘Thank you Mark! Make it happen sooner in Cambodia, i’ll be your first sub.’

But one disgruntled user responded: ‘I’m not sure why direct access to decent customer support isn’t offered for free’.

Defending the new product in the comments, Mr Zuckerberg added: ‘We already provide protections and some support for everyone. 

‘But verifying government IDs and providing direct access to customer support for millions or billions of people costs a significant amount of money. 

‘Subscription fees will cover this and will also pace how many people sign up so we’ll be able to ensure quality as we scale.’

Artist Rob DenBleyker, who has a verified account, commented: ‘Enough is enough!! I’m going to twitter, where a jpg of a blue checkmark only costs $8 a month’. 

Meta Verified will cost $11.99 (£9.97) each month to use on most internet-enabled devices, but $14.99 (£12.47) each month for use on iOS devices like iPhones and iPads.

This is likely to compensate for the 30 per cent fee Apple places on in-app purchases made within those hosted on its App Store.

Up until now, getting a profile verified on Meta’s main platforms has been free, with the main requirement of proving one’s identity by uploading formal documentation, like a driver’s license.

The Facebook Help Centre was briefly updated with information about how the new system would work, but the FAQ pages are currently unavailable. 

Yesterday morning, it said that public figures and businesses will still be able to apply for a blue tick in the same way as before, without payment.

Indeed, those who already have verification badges will not have them removed in the wake of Meta Verified, nor will they have to pay for them.

The paid service allows Meta users who are not celebrities or brands to also get a blue tick by their name, along with other benefits.

According to the Verge, subscribers will be given exclusive stickers for Stories and Reels, and will also receive 100 free ‘stars’ per month – the digital currency used to tip Facebook creators.

Blue ticks are in demand across social media platforms because accounts that have them are often prioritised in search results, giving them a larger audience.

Now-deleted pages on the Facebook Help Centre said that Meta Verified will initially be an option for Facebook profiles, which represent a person.

This is opposed to ‘Pages’, which tend to be used by brands and public figures, however those who run a ‘notable’ Page could still apply for verification in the old way.

The service will first be introduced in New Zealand and Australia this week, and will be available in other nations ‘soon,’ according to Mr Zuckerberg.

In December, after much delay, Twitter boss Mr Musk launched Twitter Blue – a subscription service that gives users a ‘Blue Tick’ of verification for a monthly fee.

This costs $8 (£6.50) per month for those who purchase the service through the web or an Android device, but $11 (£9) per month through Apple iOS.

Prior to Mr Musk’s takeover, blue checkmarks were given out on Twitter for free after an account holder had proven their identity.

But the new boss wanted to do away with what he saw as a ‘lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark’.

His subscription service, which allowed any account who pays to become verified, was first rolled out in early November.

However, users were quick to take advantage of this, as accounts impersonating famous people and corporations, including Mr Musk himself, flooded the platform.

This forced the second richest man in the world to halt the verification process, but not before advertisers pulled their contracts.

Twitter Blue was relaunched the following month, with new systems to denote different types of verified accounts, like multi-coloured checkmarks, that some dubbed ‘confusing’.

Since then, other new features have been rolled out for subscribers like the ability to post tweets up to 4,000 characters long.

In January, it was reported that at least two Taliban officials had started to pay for Twitter Blue to achieve verification.