Meta’s paid verification program goes live in the US

Meta's paid verification program is available in the US starting today, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Instagram channel. Those who sign up for Meta Verified will get a blue verification badge on Facebook and Instagram, “proactive impersonation protection” and direct access to customer support, Zuckerberg said. 

It costs $12 per month via the web and $15 per month if you become a Meta Verified member through iOS or Android to account for those platform's cuts of in-app payments. You'll also get increased visibility in some parts of the apps, some stars each month (which you can use to tip Facebook creators) and extra stickers for Stories and Reels.

The company debuted the program in Australia and New Zealand last month. Verified differs from Twitter Blue, through which folks can pay for a blue check mark and other perks, as it requires Instagram and Facebook users to provide Meta with a piece of government ID that matches the name and photo on their account. They'll need to meet some other eligibility requirements, such as being 18 or older and having two-factor authentication enabled.

Meta Verified subscribers can't change their profile name or photo, username or date of birth unless they're willing to go through the verification process again. Any notable Instagram or Facebook account that was previously verified will keep their blue check.