March 17 (UPI) -- Meta announced Friday it is launching a paid verification service for Instagram and Facebook, which will assign blue check marks to accounts for a monthly fee.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said users will have to pay $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on mobile for a blue checkmark.
"Meta Verified is rolling out in the U.S. today," Zuckerberg said Friday in the Meta Channel on Instagram. "You can get a badge, proactive impersonation protection, and direct access to customer support."
According to information online, users won't be allowed to use one Meta Verified subscription for both Instagram and Facebook and will have to subscribe to each app individually.
The subscription service was first launched in Australia and New Zealand last month and requires a government-issued photo ID to confirm identity.
Meta said users won't be allowed to change identifiers such as profile name, username, photo, and other descriptors unless they refile through the verification process.
Users also have to be 18 to be eligible for the verification service.
The new process is similar to Twitter, where CEO Elon Musk has introduced paid verification for $8 per month. However, Facebook and Instagram users who are already verified will not have to pay.
