Meta to introduce paid-for verification for Instagram

Some Instagram users will now be able to pay for a blue tick verification, its parent company Meta has announced.

'Meta Verified' will cost $11.99 (£9.96) a month on web, or $14.99 for iPhone users and will be available in Australia and New Zealand this week.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, said the move will improve security and authenticity on the social media app.

The move comes after Elon Musk, owner of Twitter, implemented a paid-for verification system in November 2022.

Instagram's paid subscription service is not yet available for businesses, but any individual can pay for verification.

Badges - or "blue ticks"- have been used as verification tools for high-profile accounts to signify their authenticity.

The subscription would give paying users a blue badge, increased visibility of their posts, protection from impersonators and easier access to customer service, Meta said in a post on their website.

The company told the BBC the change would not affect previously verified accounts, but noted there would be an increase in visibility for some smaller users who become verified thanks to the paid feature.

Allowing paying users access to a blue tick has previously caused trouble for other social media platforms.

Meta said Instagram usernames will have to match a government supplied ID document to be granted verification, and users will have to have a profile picture that includes their face.

Other websites like Reddit, YouTube and Discord similarly use subscription-based models.

Meta has not yet specified when the feature will be rolled out to other countries, although Mr Zuckerberg said in a post it would be "soon".