by - Instagram could plan a paid subscription service called Meta Verified.
- A post on the social media giant’s help center said users could receive verified badges.
- It listed other subscription benefits, but the page was removed after insiders contacted Meta.
Instagram appears to be planning a new paid subscription service called Meta Verified that would give users verified badges.
The social media giant said on its Help Center page that individuals and professional profiles could access its subscription benefits, including “impersonation monitoring”, prioritization in comments and exclusive stickers for Instagram stories.
Social Media Consultant Matt Navarra tweeted about Sunday’s post and it was seen by Insider before it was removed.
It has been suggested that subscribers may be able to get recommendations on the Instagram Explore page and Reels, as well as customer support for common issues.
A screenshot of the Instagram help page on Meta Verified.
It’s not known if or when Instagram planned to roll out the feature, but the post said users could gain access to the benefits of Meta Verified once they completed Instagram’s verification process.
It also said that users who bought Meta Verified would not have it applied to their Facebook account as well. The eligibility help page, which was also removed, revealed that users must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for a Meta Verified subscription.
According to Instagram, users must have a profile picture showing their face and validate government ID to be eligible.
Navara told Insider that it made sense for Meta to consider a paid verification plan. “The market has already been tested by competitors, the benefits are mostly already there and don’t require much development time to bring this new product together, and it’s generating a new revenue stream at a time when most companies are facing challenging economic headwinds. ” he said.
—Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) February 19, 2023
Navarra, who has advised the UK government, added: “Snap with Snapchat+ and Twitter with Twitter Blue have unlocked a new revenue stream for social media companies and its value and purpose.”
In December, Twitter launched its premium subscription, Twitter Blue, for the second time since Elon Musk took control of the company.
The service’s launch, which allows users to pay for verification, sparked a backlash and was temporarily paused in November after some users bought it so they could impersonate corporate and politician accounts.
Meta did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment outside of normal business hours.
