The idea is that for a monthly fee, Facebook and Instagram users can get verified accounts with confirmation by presenting passport documents. 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. Other countries are to follow “soon”. The price will be $11.99 if you subscribe online. For purchases on iPhones, it should be $14.99. Apple initially charges a fee of 30 percent for subscriptions made on the iPhone.
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 ask users for explicit 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 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.
Meta shares are up 1.36 percent at $175.23 in after-hours NASDAQ trading.
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