Facebook and Instagram are testing a paid verification service in Australia and New Zealand.

 

Facebook and Instagram are testing a paid verification service in Australia and New Zealand. The service costs AUD11.99 ($8.73) on the web and AUD14.99 on mobile platforms and offers users a verified badge in exchange for their government-issued IDs. Verified users are promised protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support and greater visibility. Meta is testing the subscription service to see if users are willing to pay for social media features that were previously free. The move could also provide a new revenue stream for Meta, which is facing a drop in advertising revenues. Experts have suggested that the swelling number of creators, influencers and celebrities who rely on social media could be potential users of the service. However, ordinary users have so far been less enthusiastic about the subscription, with one Sydney-based user stating that they "definitely wouldn't pay for it". Some commentators have also questioned the strategy of offering a verification-subscription service, which Twitter tried just weeks ago with little success. However, the move is seen as part of a broader effort to condition users to pay for social media over the long-term, with more services and functionality becoming subscription-based in the future.