Meta testing paid subscriptions in Australia and New Zealand – Image

Facebook and Instagram began launching their first week-long paid subscription service on Friday, testing users’ willingness to pay for previously free features on social media. Faced with declining advertising revenue, parent company Meta is trialling the subscription in Australia and New Zealand before introducing it to larger markets. The service costs $11.99
(11.30€) per month for users who subscribe to it online and
$14.99 for those who will browse mobile apps. From Friday, Australian subscribers who present a government-issued ID will be able to apply for a blue authentication badge that will give them protection from identity theft, direct access to customer service and more visibility, according to the company. “We will gradually roll out access to Meta Verified to Facebook and Instagram and expect to achieve 100% availability within the first seven days of going live,” a Meta spokesperson told AFP. “This new feature aims to enhance the authenticity and security of our services,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement posted to Facebook and Instagram. More importantly, the move also provides Meta with a way to derive more revenue from its 2 billion users. .