Shillong, October 24: Taking inspiration from X, which is owned by Elon Musk and offers more controls in exchange for charges, Instagram, under the umbrella of Meta, is piloting a feed that exclusively showcases posts from paid verified users.
As per IANS, earlier this year, reports emerged that Meta was exploring a subscription service allowing Facebook and Instagram users to pay for a verified account.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, stated that the company is “exploring this as a new control for people and a way for businesses and creators to get discovered.”
The new “Meta Verified” toggle will be presented as an option under “Following” and “Favourites” when users tap the Instagram logo at the top of the app, as reported by The Verge.
The Meta Verified program is priced at $11.99 on the web and $14.99 in the app, providing users with an alternative means to gain greater visibility in an Instagram feed.
Mosseri encouraged users to express their interest in utilizing this new feed designed for verified users.
Notably, recent reports indicated that Meta is planning to charge $14 for accessing an ad-free Instagram or Facebook in Europe. In this arrangement, users in Europe can choose to pay the fee or agree to view personalized ads.
For users who wish to access both Instagram and Facebook without ads, they can acquire the combo for $17 per month, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s important to mention that Meta will continue to provide free versions of the apps with ads in the European Union for those who opt not to subscribe.
