Social media has always been thought of as “pay to play” in terms of paid ads and visibility. This week we’re discussing a new way social media wants you to “pay to play.” In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode we’re talking about paid subscriptions to use social media. Meta is testing an idea in Australia and New Zealand where they’re asking people to pay to subscribe to Facebook and Instagram for about $12 a month each. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company is testing out this new subscription service called “Meta Verified” to help Facebook and Instagram users “get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you.”
Facebook is testing a new subscription service “Meta Verified” for $12 per month
What Exactly is Meta Verified and How Does it Work?
The protection that the monthly subscription service offers is that you receive a verified badge, which you’ll get by giving Meta a government ID. Once you’re verified, Meta will enhance monitoring of your account to block impostor accounts, and will also give you additional support and increased visibility and reach of your posts. Subscribers will also have access to “exclusive features” like stickers and a verified badge to help their posts stand out even more from basic accounts.
This comes on the heels of Twitter also charging for verification and priority reach. So how is this going to work for businesses? Some business owners may not want to pay for social media. While this is true, Meta is not testing this for business pages, yet. It is something to keep an eye on though, because Facebook’s ad revenue has declined and they are looking for additional revenue sources. Would you pay to use Facebook and/or Instagram personally or professionally? What do you think of this? Let us know!
Would you consider paying for Facebook and Instagram?