The Evolution of Verified Accounts: Do You Need A Blue Check?
Written by Lucy Bishop
The evolution of the little blue checkmark has gone from exclusive to purchasable.
But how did we get there?
In 2009 Twitter (now X - but we will be referring to the platform as Twitter in this article) launched the first iteration of a social media verification program allowing high profile users to confirm their ID on the platform after being sued by the St Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa when someone impersonated him on the site. Blue checkmark verification programs quickly showed up on Facebook 2012, Instagram in 2014 and TikTok in 2022. Verification used to require public facing profiles to apply for the blue checkmark, by filling in a short form to confirm their identity and ownership of the profile. There was never a certain number of followers needed to be verified but having a ‘notable’ account was important to be approved (or having a contact at the platform!).
What’s Changed?
In late 2022 there was a major shift in the verification process. This shift’s name is Elon Musk. In November 2022 Musk announced that there would be a new paid verification model to end ‘the current lords and peasants verification system’. This came in the form of a $8 per month verification program and was quickly followed with a pause due to the number of impersonations of official accounts. Twitter has been reworking their verification program ‘Twitter Blue’ since then to include:
Updated pricing $8 a month/$84 a year
Gold and grey badges for organizations
$1000 per month for a gold badge
The removal of ‘legacy’ checkmarks which began in April 2023.
Various features to improve your Twitter experience like Tweet edits and longer tweets
Not wanting to be left out, Meta rolled out a pilot of their own verification subscription ‘Meta Verified’ in Australia and New Zealand in February 2023 and released it in the US in March 2023 and is slowly rolling out globally. The ‘Meta Verified’ program offers:
$US11.99 per month on the web, or $US14.99 in-app
To be verified on Instagram or Facebook it doesn’t cover both. If you want to be verified on both platforms it will cost $US23.98 per month to get a blue tick in both apps.
Dedicated Meta account support person
Exclusive stickers for Facebook and Instagram Stories and Facebook Reels
Initially Meta Verified was going to offer extended platform reach to subscribers, but it has paused this while they assess the best way forward with it. While Meta hasn’t made a formal statement on why, it seems that there were issues with the feature during beta testing in AUS/NZ.
What’s the Value?
The value of being verified, having the blue checkmark has always been its exclusivity, now it’s being sold, that value is being diluted the more people purchase it.
In saying that Twitter has been making an additional $2.4 million from Twitter Blue subscriptions. Given the current economic situation for both platforms they seem to need the extra revenue streams and don’t see the for sale verification programs as dilutions of the value… or they just don’t care.
For some users and businesses paying for verification makes sense to get the stamp of authority, PLUS the value of having their own Meta representative to help troubleshoot the platform, given how hard it can be to get anyone from Meta on the line. Then given the qualification and approval process for a blue checkmark has been a confusing mess for a long time - i.e. an unknown person with low follower count is verified or reports of Meta and Twitter staffers in the past approving friends’ profiles, or taking under-the-table payments for verification ticks - some think this provides structure to the verification process. If the process is already broken - why not profit from it?
The Takeaway
In our (humble) opinion, we understand the value of verification subscriptions as extra revenue streams for Twitter and Meta and for businesses or users who want the stamp of authentication, but overall, opening up verification to anyone who will pay reduces the value of the blue checkmark as a whole. Going forward we see the blue checkmark meaning less because you will know anyone can buy it.