Meta Verified rolled out in India; priced at Rs. 699, here is what you get

Meta Platforms is expanding its testing of Meta Verified to India after early testing in several countries globally. This is a part of Meta’s on-going efforts to help creators establish a presence so that they can focus on building their communities on Instagram and Facebook. The intention behind starting the Meta Verified programme was to help up-and-coming creators grow their presence more quickly on Meta's apps.

What is Meta Verified?.

This is a new subscription bundle that includes account verification with government ID, impersonation protections and account support. However, there will be no changes to accounts that were previously verified. It is a paid subscription bundle on Instagram and Facebook that includes a verified badge that authenticates the user's account with government ID, proactive account protection and access to account support.

This means that Meta will look to ensure that a user's identity and accounts are safe and that the people they are interacting with are who they say they are.

What will Meta Verified bring to subscribers?.

· A verified badge, confirming you’re the real you and that your account has been authenticated with a government ID.

· More protection from impersonation with proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences.

· Help when required for common account issues. At the moment, support is available in English only, but it will be extended to include Hindi.

Meta Verified is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in India starting today. Meta Verified price, for the monthly subscription, is Rs. 699 on iOS and Android. A web purchase option too will be rolled out priced at Rs. 599 a month.

What happens to holders of existing Verified Badges?.

The earlier verified badge will be unaffected. These will be all those accounts that were verified before the introduction of Meta Verified.

However, do note that these accounts passed through a set of criteria to confirm their authentic presence and may be more susceptible to impersonation than the average user.

How to apply for Meta Verified?.

A series of checks have been built into Meta Verified before, during and after someone applies.

· To be eligible, accounts must meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history, and applicants must be at least 18 years old.

· Applicants are then required to submit a government ID that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account they’re applying for.

· Meta Verified subscriptions will include proactive monitoring for account impersonation.

What else will he process require?.

1. Some subscribers may be required to submit a selfie video as part of the authentication process.

2. The rollout begins today, and will be available to all who meet the eligibility criteria over the next few weeks.

3. Businesses are not eligible to apply for Meta Verified at this time.

4. People interested in purchasing on web can sign up to the waitlist through the Facebook web Account Center to be informed when web purchasing is available.