Meta – Another upcoming huge tweak Mark Zuckerberg made to Facebook and Instagram on Sunday has already angered users.
The CEO of Meta reportedly stated that the business is exploring a paid membership service that validates Facebook and Instagram users.
The unexpected Meta news surfaced just after Twitter said that it will start charging users for SMS two-factor authentication.
The news
In his introduction, Zuckerberg said that the subscription service will be dubbed “Meta Verified.”
Everyone who wants to utilize this service must pay $11.99 each month.
Those who use iOS, however, will have to pay $14.99 a month.
Australia and New Zealand will have access to Meta Verified this week before other regions.
Meta Verified
Meta’s subscription service is more than just a status symbol.
Also, it has benefits including enhanced protection against fake accounts.
Furthermore, Meta Verified provides clients with easy access to customer service.
A blue badge that enables account verification is given to users who utilize the subscription service.
Anybody who wants to utilize the subscription must have a government ID that exactly matches the name and photo on their profile.
They must also be at least 18 years old to subscribe to Meta Verified.
Statements
Mark Zuckerberg posted the following in a post on the Instagram broadcast channel Meta Verified:
“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
The startling revelation shocked everyone, but Meta clarified to let everyone breathe.
The social media behemoth said that the verified accounts, which were previously exclusively accessible to real, well-known people, will not be impacted by the new subscription service.
“We are evolving the meaning of the blue badge to focus on authenticity so we can expand verification access to more people,” said a Meta spokesperson.
“We will display follower count in more places so people can distinguish which accounts are notable public figures among accounts that share the same name.”
A league of their own
Due to the company’s use of subscription services, Meta Verified falls under the same banner of platforms like:
- Discord
- YouTube
Twitter has generated the hottest discussions out of all the websites with a committed subscription service.
Twitter Blue
In December, Twitter Blue, a premium service for verification, was re-released by Elon Musk and Twitter.
The firm had been utilizing the service up until a flood of fake “verified” accounts forced them to withdraw.
Twitter has also added new colors for a number of checkbox choices to make it simpler to distinguish between distinct accounts, including:
- Gold checks for companies
- Gray checks for government organizations and affiliates
- Blue checks for individuals, celebrities or non-celebrities
Android and iOS users may use Twitter by subscribing to Twitter Blue for $11 per month.
Elon Musk wanted to increase the number of customers when he paid $44 billion to buy the business in late 2022.
Read also: Microsoft AI actually had errors in demo last week
Two-factor authentication
There was uproar when Twitter said last week that it was reviewing how it handled two-factor authentication.
SMS texts are a two-factor authentication mechanism that is exclusively accessible to Twitter Blue subscribers, according to the press release.
A 2021 survey by Twitter Account Security found that just 2.6% of Twitter users had 2FA activated.
Around 74.4% of customers have so far chosen SMS authentication.
Beginning on March 20, non-Twitter Blue users will have two more, cost-free login options:
- A security key
- A mobile authentication app
On February 15, the news was made on Twitter in a blog post that read:
“Instead of only entering a password to log in, 2FA requires you to also enter a code or use a security key. This additional step helps make sure that you, and only you, can access your account.”
“While historically a popular form of 2FA, unfortunately we have seen phone-number based 2FA be used – and abused – by bad actors.”
“So starting today, we will no longer allow accounts to enroll in the text message/SMS method of 2FA unless they are Twitter Blue subscribers.”
“Non-Twitter Blue subscribers that are already enrolled will have 30 days to disable this method and enroll in another.”
“We encourage non-Twitter Blue subscribers to consider using an authentication app or security key method instead.”
“These methods require you to have a physical possession of the authentication method and are a great way to ensure your account is secure.”
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