Paid Subscription Service 'Meta Verified'
Facebook & Instagram Subscription at '35,900 KRW per Month'
"No Measures Against Impersonation Accounts, Just Business" Criticism Also
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, announced that it will expand and introduce its paid subscription service for verified badges, 'Meta Verified,' which has been piloted globally since February, to South Korea. Meta Verified is a subscription-based paid service available to creators and individual users aged 19 and older on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta launches paid subscription service for 'blue verified badge'... "Subscription for both Insta and Facebook costs 35,900 KRW"
On the 1st, Meta explained that this paid service was introduced "to help creators prove the authenticity of their accounts and strengthen their presence on the platform." Upon applying for the service, users can verify their identity with a government-issued ID and receive a blue 'verified badge' on their profile. Additionally, benefits such as proactive account protection and direct support for account-related issues are provided.
Since starting the pilot operation of Meta Verified for creators in Australia and New Zealand in February, Meta has been expanding the countries where the service is available. In South Korea, the service will initially be available to a limited number of users, with the eligible user base gradually expanding.
Applications for the service can be made through the 'Account Center' in the Facebook and Instagram apps. The subscription fee is 22,000 KRW per month for a single profile subscription based on mobile app payments, and 35,900 KRW per month if subscribing to both Facebook and Instagram profiles.
Meta stated, "Meta Verified is a subscription service introduced to help creators establish their presence on Meta's platforms," adding, "We plan to continuously develop the service to provide more value and benefits to subscribing creators."
"Celebrity impersonation scams are rampant..." Criticism grows over lack of fundamental measures and focus on profit
However, there is analysis that this move will face criticism and controversy for monetizing the issue of 'celebrity impersonation ads and scams' rampant on social media without offering fundamental prevention measures.
In July, former Democratic Party lawmaker Pyo Chang-won revealed on his SNS that impersonation sites using his photos on profiles and posts have become active, and that he reported each case of account misuse. However, Meta responded by saying, "There is no violation of community guidelines, so we will not delete the accounts," which he criticized.
In October, former Hanwha Investment & Securities CEO Joo Jin-hyung reported to Meta a Facebook account advertising a stock trading room impersonating him, but was told it could not be deleted as it did not violate regulations. In the same month, Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University, who works to correct and widely promote Korean culture, also informed that there are impersonation accounts on Instagram requesting sponsorships under the pretense of "supporting Korean promotion."
As such cases of damage increase and evolve into a social issue, the Korea Communications Commission and the Korea Communications Standards Commission have repeatedly requested Meta to take corrective action. However, Meta has only reiterated that it regularly cracks down on impersonation accounts violating regulations and will do its best to minimize user inconvenience.
Moreover, celebrity impersonation scams on Meta platforms and the company's passive response have been criticized overseas as well.
Recently, Gina Reinhart, chairperson of Australian resource development company Hancock, wrote a direct letter to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, protesting that despite widespread false advertisements impersonating her, Facebook and Instagram are turning a blind eye.
Australian businessman Andrew Forrest and famous broadcaster David Koch also filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming the company allows fake ads impersonating them to spread.
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