The possibility of a paid verification service on Instagram has been suggested after a developer discovered references to the service in the social media platform’s source code. This speculation comes just a few months after Elon Musk introduced the ‘Twitter Blue’ verification feature. The blue tick is currently only given to high-profile individuals, celebrities, and globally recognized brands. However, the feature has led to a multimillion-dollar market for verification, with some obtaining the tick through illicit means.
Twitter charges a monthly fee of $8 for its verified badge, and if Instagram were to implement a similar service, users would have the opportunity to pay for a blue tick on their profile. This news comes at a time when Twitter is looking to expand its verification service to other countries. The expected monthly fee for the service is between $5 and $8, and the introduction of this feature is estimated to take at least six months.
According to TechCrunch, the references to the paid verification service were also present in Facebook’s latest build, indicating that it could be a wider product across the Meta-owned platforms. Despite the code references, there has been no other indication of the upcoming service. The launch of a paid verification service on Instagram would be closely monitored, particularly in light of the impersonation issues that arose with Twitter’s rollout of its similar service.
