Instagram's code reveals a 'Meta Verified' feed filter, but company denies active test

It looks like Instagram may have considered copying another Twitter feature by elevating Verified users to a more prominent spot in the Instagram app, according to a new discovery in the app's code. According to reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, both the iOS and Android Instagram apps are now showing a new feed filter that would display "Meta Verified" subscribers alongside the chronological Following and Favorites feeds Instagram introduced last year.

Instagram, however, dismissed the new finding saying, "This is not a feature we're testing," in a comment to TechCrunch.

The company declined to say if the feature was in internal development or if it was a feature it considered, then decided not to pursue. But Paluzzi tells TechCrunch the feature was added to the code in the Android app (v296.0.0.0.16) released on August 4th and in the iOS app (v295.0) released just yesterday.

That seems to imply something that's newly in development -- which wouldn't make Meta's statement on the matter incorrect, just a bit misleading.

Whether or not Meta moves forward with the concept of a filter just for Verified creators remains to be seen, but it wouldn't be the worst idea, we'd argue.

Likely, such a feed would primarily consist of creator content, as those users benefit the most from the verification process which provides perks like proactive impersonation protection, direct access to customer support, exclusive stickers, 100 Stars per month to support other creators, and, of course, the coveted blue checkmark -- which also translates over to Instagram's new app, Threads.

By adding "Meta Verified" to the feed filtering options on Instagram, the company would be offering creators an opportunity for increased visibility. Users who engage with Instagram's feed filters on a regular basis may click over to the new option to browse content from favorite creators instead of just viewing their friends' posts.

Launched after Twitter Blue, the feature set for Meta Verified was clearly inspired by Twitter's efforts to monetize its most active creators.

Twitter Blue, or X Premium as it's now called as part of the larger X rebranding, provides a variety of features to elevate subscribers' posts, including by giving them their own Verified tab in users' Notifications, in addition to other features like limited ads, an edit button, support for longer posts and more.

Paluzzi discovered the new filter and posted on X what the Meta Verified drop-down looks like. For now, it appears as the third option in the list of feed filters and is designated by a checkmark.

#Instagram is working on the Meta Verified feed ? pic.twitter.com/eyGQ7YgL1u

-- Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) August 10, 2023