Is your Facebook account worth $12 a month? Meta rolls out subscription program

Yesterday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram that his company is testing out a new subscription service to help Facebook and Instagram users "get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you." Called Meta Verified, the monthly service will cost $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS and Android. It's being rolled out in Australia and New Zealand starting this week, and there are plans to offer the service in other countries soon.

Reactions on Instagram were mixed, with approximately 35,000 users reacting with thumbs up, hearts, tears, laughter, anger, and shock emoji.

A Meta blog went into further detail on how the monthly subscription service works. Users will show a government ID to authenticate their accounts and will receive a verified badge. Meta will then begin proactively monitoring to block impostor accounts while providing additional account support. Similar to Twitter Blue, the Meta Verified service offers users "increased visibility and reach." Announced before Twitter Blue launched, the monthly subscription service is designed partly in response to top creator requests "for broader access to verification and account support," Meta's blog said. Subscribers will also have access to "exclusive features" like stickers to help their posts stand out even more from basic accounts.

For now, accounts that have already been verified will not be impacted by the new service, but that could change depending on the outcome of Meta's product testing.

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"Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that's valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses, and our community at large," Meta's blog said. "As part of this vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and more people can trust the accounts they interact with are authentic."

Potential issues with Meta Verified

Facebook already requires users to verify their identity by sharing a government ID or "IDs from non-government organizations, official certificates, or licenses that include your name or other physical items like a magazine subscription or a piece of mail." [Update: A Meta spokesperson told Ars that this policy only applies to when users are locked out of accounts and are trying to regain access. There is no ID required or verification at sign-up, which helps Meta minimize the amount of sensitive information gathered and ensure access to services for users without ID. Meta Verified requires government ID to ensure that the product launches with a "very high identity standard," the spokesperson said, noting that Meta "may safely ease" the standard to make the product accessible to more users.]

The Meta Verified requirement that users share a government ID could carry some privacy and security risks that have frequently been raised as significant concerns, as lawmakers have already sought to require government IDs for social network age verification purposes or for accessing adult content. Advocates have warned that widely collecting such sensitive data from so many users could compound the consequences of any data breach of Meta platforms.

Currently, businesses are not eligible for Meta Verified, and Meta Verified only supports users who post under their real names. After being verified, users will not be able to update their usernames, date of birth, or profile picture without going through the verification process again, meaning Meta will likely regularly collect this sensitive data from users and make it impossible for now for verified users to post anonymously.

A Meta spokesperson told Ars that the company is being thoughtful with its rollout of Meta Verified and confirmed that businesses will eventually be able to be verified, too.