Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday that the social media company’s paid verification programme for Facebook and Instagram has been expanded to India.
Meta Verified will cost ₹699 per month on iOS and Android, while a web purchase option costing ₹599 a month will be launched in a few months.
Previously verified accounts will not lose their blue tick status on Instagram and Facebook. However, paying for a blue tick status does not guarantee extensive reach.
“Since our initial test of Meta Verified in Australia and New Zealand, we’ve made a few adjustments based on learnings, including the removal of increased reach for additional test countries. This continues to be the approach for India,” said Meta in a blog post on Tuesday.
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Meta Verified subscribers in India will receive the Facebook and Instagram verification badge that comes after authentication with a government ID. They will also receive greater protection from impersonators and help for common account issues. There are plans to roll out this currently English-based support service in Hindi, in coming months.
Meta Verified subscribers must be at least 18 years old and cannot be businesses.
Users in the UK and Canada are also eligible to subscribe to Meta Verified, while the service will be coming soon to Brazil, Zuckerberg confirmed.
Meta Verified came shortly after the Elon Musk-owned Twitter decided to monetise the previously free blue tick verification mark given to notable accounts with a large number of followers. Impersonation was a major challenge on Twitter after this update, and the feature was retracted before being re-launched.
