Meta’s paid verification system comes to the UK

Meta just increased availability of its bringing the program to the UK. To the uninitiated, buying into Meta’s new program gives you a blue verification badge on Facebook and Instagram to indicate you are who you say you are. It’s (sort of) like modern Twitter blue checks.

Buying into the feature also gets you “proactive impersonation protection” and direct access to customer support. In the USA, $12 to $15 each month, depending on how you sign up. For UK residents, it costs £10 per month if you sign up on the web and £12 per month if you sign up on an iOS or Android device. The price disparity is to offset Apple and Google’s store fees and is another nod to Twitter.

Unlike Twitter, you need an official government ID to opt into the service. You also have to be older than 18 and have two-factor authentication enabled. Additionally, verified users can’t change their profile name, photo, username or date of birth without re-starting the entire verification process.

This feature is still in the testing phase. The beta version of this program begins rolling out for UK users today, but it’s a tiered release so it could take a few weeks before reaching your account. So far, Meta has tested its verification system in the US, Australia, New Zealand and, now, the UK. The company promises to expand the feature set as testing continues, stating that it’ll “continue to explore additional elements that create the most value for emerging creators.”