Meta is launching a paid verification service for Facebook, Instagram

Graphic: Dima Solomin/Unsplash

The rumours were true. Meta is planning to launch a Twitter Blue-like subscription service called Meta Verified. It'll be coming to both Facebook and Instagram. And it will give users features like a blue badge, additional impersonation protection, and direct access to customer support. Mark Zuckerberg said the feature is "about increasing authenticity and security across our services." Now, whether people will be willing to pay for that is a different question. Meta plans to introduce the feature in Australia and New Zealand first.

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Meta is reportedly planning to offer paid blue checkmarks for Facebook, Instagram

Photo: Gabrielle Henderson/Unsplash

Code within the Instagram app suggests Meta is planning to take cues from Elon Musk's Twitter by adding blue checkmarks in its app, which is verification on the social platform that Twitter now charges for. Reverse engineering professional Alessandro Paluzzi spotted a new mention in the codebase of both Facebook and Instagram suggesting it wants to add a "paid blue badge."

Meta has yet to confirm or deny the feature, but if true, it looks like the company is looking for a new way to monetize. It's a baffling source of revenue from a creator's perspective, given verification is crucial for ensuring prominent people or profiles are distinguished from copycats, scammers, and the like. What value would these blue checkmarks bring if people can just pay for them? Since this is hidden within the code, it may not even be released. But it gives us an idea of what Meta might be considering.

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Instagram expands the functionality of its "not interested" button

Source: Instagram

Aside from rolling out Quiet Mode, Instagram has also expanded on its "not interested" button. The feature lets you flag certain types of content you don't want to see. The platform will now let you hide more than one piece of content on the Explore page. You can now add a list of words, hashtags, or emojis to avoid in the captions of recommended content. It works similarly to how the app already lets you hide DMs with words you don't want to see.

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Instagram's Quiet Mode lets you pause notifications

Source: Instagram

Instagram has taken out of testing a feature that lets you temporarily silence push notifications on the app. Quiet Mode is one way to prevent people from getting in touch with you there when you want to take a break. It will send automatic replies to users who try to message you on the platform. It will also show an "in quiet mode" status on your profile to let others know you're not looking at interactions on the app. 

You can schedule specific times when the feature is automatically activated. It'll also give you a summary of notifications you might have missed when you return.

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