OPINION: Meta, Twitter Are Ruining Social Media As We Knew It. Why Should You 'Pay' For It?
AbpliveFeb 20, 2023
On Sunday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook and Instagram users in Australia and New Zealand would soon be required to pay for the verified blue badge.
Meta's premium subscription service starts at $11.99 per month on the Web and $14.99 per month on iOS and Android.
Though for years Facebook claimed all its services were "free and always will be," the value of users' personal data meant the site was never truly free. Unfortunately, the launch of Meta Verified is a tone-deaf move reinforcing tech greed. By forcing users to pay for services that were expected to be a default offering — such as protection from impersonation — the paid service looks more like a marketing pitch than of actual value to creators.
Meta's new offering is fundamentally about increasing authenticity and security by cutting down on trolls, impersonations, and fraud. Though it will undoubtedly also help the social media platform diversify its revenue stream and reduce its reliance on advertising, Meta Verified further benefits users by adding premium value to their account; at $11.99 or $14.99 a month, it's a bargain for the content.