Copyright: AFP
Facebook and Meta logos taken in France in January 2023.
The subscription will initially be introduced in Australia and New Zealand, with other countries to follow “soon”. Facebook and Instagram now also want to collect money for a function on their platforms.
The idea isn’t new, but it should be uncomfortable for many: The Facebook group Meta is experimenting with a subscription business model after the decline in advertising revenue.
The idea is that Facebook and Instagram users can get verified accounts with confirmation by presenting passport documents for a monthly fee.
Blue tick only for those who pay
In addition to the usual tick of a verified account, the service should also include direct access to customer support and protection against copycat profiles.
The subscription will first be introduced in Australia and New Zealand, founder and boss Mark Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook on Sunday (February 19, 2023). Other countries are to follow “soon”.
The price will be $11.99 (currently the equivalent of €11.18) if you book the subscription online. For purchases on iPhones, it should be $14.99. Apple initially charges a fee of 30 percent for subscriptions made on the iPhone.
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Meta’s revenue fell four percent last quarter. In addition to the general slowdown in the online advertising market, Facebook and Instagram continue to struggle with Apple’s privacy protections on the iPhone.
App developers must explicitly ask users for permission if they want to track their behavior across different applications and services in order to personalize advertising. With many refusing to do so, online advertising models went haywire.
Twitter also demands money for blue ticks
Twitter is also hoping for more subscription revenue under new owner Elon Musk. In addition to a blue tick in the profile, which previously only existed with personal verification, paying users are currently given the opportunity to publish longer videos.
Another benefit announced for the future is that tweets from subscribers will be placed more prominently. In addition, they should only see half as much advertising. The Twitter Blue subscription costs eight euros in Europe for a monthly subscription. If you get it for a year, 84 euros will be due. (dpa)
