Meta – Many are already upset about an imminent big change Mark Zuckerberg made to Facebook and Instagram on Sunday.
According to reports, the CEO of Meta said that the company is looking at a premium membership program that verifies Facebook and Instagram users.
Just after Twitter announced that it will begin charging customers for SMS two-factor verification, the unexpected Meta news broke.
The news
Zuckerberg stated in his introduction that the subscription service would be called “Meta Verified.”
The monthly fee for using this service is $11.99 per subscriber.
But, iOS users will be required to pay $14.99 each month.
This week, before other regions, Australia and New Zealand will gain access to Meta Verified.
Meta Verified
The subscription service offered by Meta is more than just a mark of prestige.
Moreover, it offers advantages including improved defense against bogus accounts.
Also, Meta Verified gives customers quick access to customer assistance.
Users of the subscription service receive a blue badge that permits account verification.
Everyone wishing to use the subscription must possess a government ID with a name and photo that exactly match those on their profile.
To subscribe to Meta Verified, a person must also be at least 18 years old.
Statements
In a message uploaded to the Instagram broadcast feed, Mark Zuckerberg stated the following:
“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
Everyone was surprised by the surprising information, but Meta clarified to calm everyone down.
The social media goliath said that the new subscription service will not have an effect on the verified accounts, which were previously only open to actual, well-known people.
“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
Since Meta Verified uses subscription services, it is included in the same category of websites like:
- Discord
- YouTube
Of all the websites with a dedicated subscription service, Twitter has produced the most lively debates.
Twitter Blue
Elon Musk and Twitter re-released Twitter Blue in December, a premium service for verification.
The company had been using the service until they were forced to stop by an influx of phony “verified” accounts.
To make it easier to identify between different accounts, Twitter has now introduced new colors for a variety of tick options, including:
- Gold checks for companies
- Gray checks for government organizations and affiliates
- Blue checks for individuals, celebrities or non-celebrities
Users of Android and iOS may access Twitter by purchasing a Twitter Blue subscription for $11 per month.
When Elon Musk spent $44 billion to purchase the company in late 2022, he intended to boost the number of clients.
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Two-factor authentication
When Twitter announced last week that it was investigating how it handled two-factor authentication, there was outrage.
According to the press release, SMS messages are a two-factor authentication method that is only available to Twitter Blue members.
Just 2.6% of Twitter users had 2FA enabled, according to a poll conducted in 2021 by Twitter Account Security.
Up to now, SMS authentication has been chosen by about 74.4% of clients.
Users who don’t utilize Twitter Blue will have two more, cost-free login alternatives starting on March 20:
- A security key
- A mobile authentication app
The announcement was made on Twitter on February 15 in a blog post that stated:
“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.”
Image source: Mint
