The rise of payment verification on social media

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Having a verified account on social media was once seen as a symbol of notoriety or prestige.

Now, this is a commodity that can be bought.

Verification of social media accounts started on Twitter in 2009. Tony La Russa, then-manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, filed a lawsuit against Twitter after a user created an impersonation account and shared insensitive tweets.

Although the suit was eventually dropped, it spurred Twitter Begin its account verification process Giving blue check marks to verified accounts as a symbol of authenticity for notable businesses or public figures. The goal was to make impersonation difficult to achieve. Instagram followed suit and began Verification of accounts in 2014,

In late 2022, Elon Musk announces its revival Twitter Blue Membership The program bumps the price up to $5 to $8 per month (or $11.99 per month via the App Store) and provides customers with a blue check mark, among other features.

META announced a similar subscription earlier this month. meta verifiedOffering users a blue check mark on Facebook and Instagram, increased visibility in feed, and increased customer service support starting at $11.99 per month.

When these subscriptions were announced, pushback from users was immediate.

On the one hand there are concerns about security. After the initial rollout of Twitter Blue Verification, some users were able Create fake accounts that mimic real brandsDefeating the initial intent of the validation.

Additionally, Twitter now only offers two-factor authentication. twitter blue subscribersMaking accounts that are not making payments less secure and more vulnerable to being hacked.

Meanwhile, Instagram users who are already frustrated with the platform hard-to-reach-customer service Will need to pay to get native customer support in case of hacks or other issues.

Apart from security concerns, the introduction of these subscriptions solidifies these platforms as places where you have to pay-to-play.

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With Meta Verified promising increased visibility on Facebook and Instagram for customers, users who are already frustrated by a lack of reach may be tempted to opt in to get more people seeing their content.

What is not clear is whether end users will know whether the content they see is being presented through algorithms or because an account has paid for enhanced access. Have done

While this option may be attractive to content creators or small businesses who want to be exposed to more people, it can be discouraging to everyday users who go to social media to see updates from their family and friends. Are.

Together advertising challenges As social media platforms have experienced a boom over the past few years, it is not surprising that these companies are evolving to include paid subscription models to generate revenue. Whether offering verification and enhanced access are the right features remains to be determined.

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