Tech giant Meta has launched its latest offering, the Meta Verified subscription, allowing users in Kenya to obtain the coveted blue verified badge on their Facebook and Instagram handles for a monthly fee of $8 (Ksh1,320).
According to a statement on the band’s official site, Meta Verified was introduced this month in Kenya, offering users the opportunity to gain verified status on their social media profiles.
Users looking to avail of the service must meet specific criteria, including being at least 18 years old, having prior posting activity, and having a public or private profile associated with their full government name.
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However, children and business pages are ineligible for verification.
“At this time, Meta Verified subscriptions only support your real name on your profile. Once your profile has been verified, you can’t change the username, profile name, date of birth, or picture on your profile without going through the Meta Verified verification process again,” explains the help page for the service.
The verification process involves submitting a selfie video and a photo or scan of the user’s national ID to verify their identity. Notably, the number of followers does not play a role in determining eligibility.
Existing verified pages, including those of celebrities and public figures, are encouraged to apply for Meta Verified subscriptions, although it is unclear whether they will lose their badges.
Meta Verified subscribers enjoy several benefits, including increased account protection, online support, increased visibility and reach, and exclusive features such as stickers.
The new service allows users to pay the monthly subscription fee through Google PlayStore, with automatic renewals until cancellation.
Meta’s move to monetize verification follows Twitter’s Twitter Blue subscription, launched earlier this year at the cost of $8. Both platforms aim to enhance user experiences and offer added incentives for subscribers.
