Meta (formally Facebook) will roll out ‘Meta Verified,’ a paid subscription service to users in Australia, and New Zealand later this week.
The AUD $19.99 a month or AUD $24.99 via iOS service was announced on Sunday by CEO Mark Zuckerberg on his Instagram channel.
Subscribers will get greater protection against impersonations, with subscribers eligible for a blue-tick verification, which has previously been reserved for notable figures, media, and celebrities.
The service also offers its subscribers greater reach on some areas of the platform, including search, comments, and recommendations.
Facebook says subscribers will get access to greater customer support with access to a real person for common account-related issues, plus access to exclusive features.
Facebook has two billion daily active users on average according to its earnings report to investors.
This announcement follows a new industry trend with Meta now joining Twitter and Snapchat which already offer paid tiers for their social networks.
Apple launched ‘Do Not Track,’ features in iOS 14.5, which impacted the digital advertising industry.
A prompt presents the user with an option to either allow tracking or ask the not to track.
Twitter launched ‘Twitter Blue,’ paid tier which saw an overhaul under the leadership of Elon Musk late last year, to expand the verification ticks on Twitter.
Snapchat introduced its paid tier, ‘Snapchat+,’ on August 22nd last year.
The app has an active user base of over 332 million people worldwide.
For $5.99 monthly Snapchat users get access to exclusive features that prioritise them and give enhanced features in the app.
Custom app icons, exclusive badges, and ‘story boost,’ a feature which promises to move your stories to the top of your friends queues.
Snapchat+ subscribers also enjoy greater visibility in the app, with features such as ‘Story Rewatch Count,’ and Snapchat Stories boosted to be first in friends’ feeds.