Celebrities have them! Politicians and public figures do too! Brands and companies are also scrambling to acquire them. Social media verification badgesespecially of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp they are desired items 10 out of 10 social media users. Symbols of relevance and authorityEven today, these stamps are difficult to obtain. At least, they used to be! Meta has just announced a paid verified badge on Instagram and Facebook.That's right: now anyone who wants one can order it for a fee. Interested? Want to know more? Keep reading our blog post.
Verification seal
The verification stamps were Created as a way to combat fake accounts and namesakes of high-profile individuals, brands, and businesses.To a certain extent, celebrities, influencers, and organizations were subject to malicious individuals using their identities to promote themselves or gain undue advantages.
The seals guaranteed a This is a way for these people to protect their names and remain active on social media. social media without worrying about fake news.
Over time, however, given the restricted and exclusive nature of granting these seals, these They came to be considered desirable items, status symbols, objects of relevance on social media, and symbols of high authority..
Although the process of obtaining verification badges is open and available to everyone (on Instagram and Facebook) – involving submitting identity confirmation, social media links, and relevant documents – the chance of approval was still quite slim., with numerous online reports of failures in obtaining the certification.
In the case of WhatsAppfor example, the process of obtaining already involves registration in the app's business model., the WhatsApp Business API, with the involvement of a partner developer (such as the Brazilian MatrixThis process is inclusive, not foolproof, and there is no guarantee of obtaining the seal.
Meta has announced that it intends to change the rules of this game!
READ ALSO: “How to get the WhatsApp green badge?”
Paid verification stamp
According to an announcement by Mark Zuckerberg (founder and CEO of Meta), they They developed a paid monthly plan to obtain a verified profile on the company's apps. (in this case, Instagram and Facebook).
Baptized Meta VerifiedThe plans begin in US$ 12 per month (US$ 15 on iOS and Android). In addition to the seal, the new feature guarantees other benefitsFeatures include direct support, protection against fake accounts, exclusive stickers for Stories and Reels, and appearing first in comments.
So does that mean I can buy my stamp now? Not yet! The trick is that... The new feature is currently being tested only in Australia and New Zealand.According to Meta, it will soon be expanded to other countries.
The future of the verification stamp.
The news is similar to the proposal announced by Elon Musk of the plans Twitter verification badgesAnd it's no surprise that industry experts see the feature as a new maneuver to make Meta less and less dependent on ads, generate recurring revenue, and ensure greater revenue predictability.
The question that remains is this: If now anyone willing to pay can obtain the verification badge, the perception of its authority and relevance tends to decrease.Could this encourage offenders and fake accounts?
Perhaps from now on we'll look with a little more suspicion at that little blue sticker next to that photo. "Pay if you can" verification!
