If you thought you could run to one of the various Meta properties to escape the so-called "Blue Checks" of Twitter, then brace for disappointment, as Meta properties Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are rolling out their own verification service this week.
Initially, the service will roll out in Australia and New Zealand (with more countries promised in the future) for a price point of $12 a month for desktop users and $15 for iOS users. Zuckerberg announced the product earlier this week, but with some users finally getting their hands on it, comparisons started flying to another controversial subscription service on social media that has become quite a contentious one in recent months — that of Elon Musk's Twitter.
Like Musk's blue checkmarks, Zuck's checks promise to grant the customer wider reach and added account protection. As for whether that's worth the monthly fee, the internet is torn.
While there are some tech enthusiasts who seem jazzed to give another social media platform monthly fees for a verification badge, many fail to see why a consumer would start paying for a free service. Wired called the introduction of a subscription service "desperate," particularly as Meta has famously floundered on its flagship Metaverse initiative.
On TikTok, actor and voice actor Ethan Trace opined that letting users pay for a verification badge is akin to letting them attempt to pay for clout. Trace used a metaphor comparing verification badges to varsity jackets, joking that wearing a varsity jacket doesn't make one a notable athlete.
@ethantrace Stop letting people buy Verified Badges! ✅
As of now, social media seems fairly split about the idea of a verification badge for Meta, much like it was for Musk's Twitter verification scheme. This doesn't seem to bode well for Zuckerberg, as Elon Musk's apparent ploy to boost Twitter's revenue has done little to cover the site's costs.
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