Facebook and Instagram launched their first paid verification service on Friday, testing the willingness of users to pay for previously free social media features.
In response to a decline in advertising revenue, Meta’s parent company is testing a subscription service in Australia and New Zealand before launching it in larger markets.
The service will be available for $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS and Android mobile platforms.
According to the company, as of Friday, Australian subscribers with government-issued IDs can begin applying for a verified badge, which provides protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support, and increased visibility.
A spokesperson for Meta told AFP, “We will gradually roll out access to Meta Verified on Facebook and Instagram and expect to reach 100 percent availability within the first week of the rollout.”
On the first day of rollout, some attempts to join Meta Verified from Sydney failed because the service was not yet available.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, wrote in a statement posted on Facebook and Instagram, “This new feature aims to enhance the authenticity and security of our services.”
Importantly, the move provides Meta with a means to generate additional revenue from its two billion users.
According to experts, the growing number of online creators, influencers, and pseudo-celebrities could be obvious users of verification.
Many of them complain that it can be challenging to resolve technical and administrative issues, resulting in delays and revenue loss.
Slow-burning technique
Jonathon Hutchinson, a lecturer in online communication at the University of Sydney, stated that a type of “VIP service” could be “quite enticing for a content creator.”
But prior to the launch, ordinary users appeared reluctant to pay a company that already generates enormous profits from their data.
Ainsley Jade, a 35-year-old social media user in Sydney, believes that the majority of her friends would find it humorous.
She observes a shift away from the time when you “put your whole life on there” and towards a more casual use of social media.
“I believe that people are gradually shifting away from that… however, I would in no way, shape, or form pay for it!”
Several commentators are perplexed as to why Facebook and Instagram would adopt a verification-subscription strategy that Twitter tried only a few weeks ago with less than stellar results.
However, according to Hutchinson, Meta has frequently demonstrated a willingness to try new, and at times risky, models before abandoning those that do not succeed.
He sees this latest strategy as part of a larger campaign to condition users to pay for social media.
“I believe it is part of a slow-burning strategy to move towards a non-free model, where more and more services and functionality will be paid or subscription-based,” he told AFP.
“I believe that over time, all of the Facebook add-ons that have emerged over the years, such as joining groups and selling items on ‘Marketplace,’ will become subscription-based services,”
