Meta Testing Paid Verified Blue Badges for Instagram and Facebook

Instagram is known for copying rival social media platforms when it comes to features. We’ve seen them clone features from Snapchat to TikTok and now it’s Twitter’s turn.

The Meta-owned platform is now working on bringing Instagram Blue with code showing Paid Blue Badge. Twitter has the same feature under Twiter Blue that allows users to pay to get a Blue Checkmark.

It seems that Meta wants in too for its platforms including Instagram and Facebook.

Code revealed by reverse engineer Alessandro shows lines that reference paid verification

FB_NME_PAID_BLUE_BADGE_IDV
IG_NME_PAID_BLUE_BADGE_IDV

Meta is also working on new subscription features for its apps. It’d be interesting to know what other perks besides a verified blue badge one would get after paying the fee.

Fewer ads between stories and posts? Post longer stories? Ability to rearrange the bottom navigation menu?

Instagram’s verification process has been chaotic even after they allowed users to request verification right from the app.

Demand for Paid verification is high among hungry unverified users

Only high-value brands, celebrities, personalities and a few creators get the Blue Checkmark. It’s a highly wanted feature with users going through illegal back channels to get it.

Meta had to remove more than 300 verified badges that were acquired in an unscrupulous manner after an investigation by ProPublica.

If this feature rolls out, it will get traction among aspiring influencers. Meta will have to add labels just like Twitter to separate the originally verified accounts from the paid verified accounts.

Meta will also have to think very well about how it will be implemented to avoid impersonation and mischief as we had seen on Twitter when they rolled out paid verification late last year.