Facebook, Instagram Could Be Set For Paid Verification

From the recent trending events around the social media giants, Facebook and Instagram could be warming up for paid verification. 

This is coming after new references in Instagram’s code allude to the possibility of the company developing a paid verification feature following Twitter's rollout of the same under Elon Musk. 

Code snippets discovered recently explicitly refer to a “paid blue badge” and a new subscription product, according to a developer. 

In a similar development, the same reference has been observed around the Facebook app's latest build, an indication that paid verification is likely being considered across Meta’s platforms in the event of the product's continued development.

The credence associated with this rumor is based on the authority of the discovery made by a developer and reverse engineer, Alessandro Paluzzi. Paluzzi has been notable for previously spotting a number of new Instagram features before they launched. 

These include the in-app scheduling tool that launched in November and the newer QR code-sharing features. 

He is also regularly spotted other internal prototypes, like Instagram’s Candid Challenges and features in development with Twitter.

Instagram is typically known to confirm its smaller tests or prototypes as soon as they get discovered. 

However, in the case of the paid verification option, the company has declined further comments.

Nevertheless, if we go by Paluzzi’s track record, this is a development that's worth at least speculating about why Instagram and/or Facebook could be weighing a decision around paid verification.