Meta and its platforms
Meta and its platformsiStock

Meta Platforms on Sunday announced that it is testing a monthly subscription service, called Meta Verified, which will let users verify their accounts using a government ID and get a blue badge, Reuters reported.

The subscription bundle for Instagram and Facebook, to be launched later this week, also includes extra protection against impersonation and will be priced starting at $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 a month on Apple’s iOS system and Android, the statement said.

Meta Verified will be rolled out in Australia and New Zealand this week, with gradual launches in other countries to follow.

Meta’s move follows a similar move by Twitter, which announced last month that Twitter Blue will be priced at $11 per month. The social media giant earlier froze its plan to charge $8 per month for blue check verification on accounts, in response to increasing numbers of fake and spam accounts.

Twitter has also launched a new authentication scheme for users. The new scheme includes a gold checkmark for companies, a grey checkmark for government accounts, and a blue checkmark for individuals.