Rumor has it that the blue tick service will soon be available for a fee on Instagram, a social networking platform. According to reports, a developer discovered evidence of paid verification in Instagram’s source code, allowing users to obtain the coveted “blue tick” next to their names, indicating that their accounts are confirmed.
This rumour surfaced shortly after Elon Musk purchased Twitter and unveiled the “Twitter Blue” verification tool, which provides users with comparable benefits.
Furthermore, according to 9to5Mac, businesses such as Meta have suffered a significant loss in advertising revenue as a result of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency rule, with a $10 billion hit last year. Mobile developer and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi discovered code in the Instagram app that specifically references the “paid blue badge” and a new subscription plan. This is just one example of Instagram being transparent about recent flaws.
According to TechCrunch, the identical references are also present in Facebook’s most recent version, implying that the subscription or paid verification may be a more widespread offering that would spread across Meta’s platforms. These issues, according to CEO Adam Mosseri, include the loss of the Instagram purchasing tool and aggressive video advertising via Instagram Reels.
Twitter’s Blue subscription, which includes a verified badge, currently costs $8 per month in the United States, Canada, Australia, and a few other countries. If Instagram adds this feature, users will be able to purchase a blue mark for their profile, just like Twitter. Paluzzi has a track record of discovering upcoming Instagram features before they are released, such as the ability to share posts, Reels, and locations via QR codes and in-app scheduling.
Paluzzi shared screenshots of the code he discovered in-app with TechCrunch, referencing “IG NME PAID BLUE BADGE IDV” and “FB NME PAID BLUE BADGE IDV” in relation to paid verification. Paluzzi adds that, aside from the oblique code references, nothing else in the most recent Instagram and Facebook builds suggests the possibility of a paid verification tool.
Currently, only high-profile individuals, celebrities, and international businesses or entities are eligible for the blue badge, creating a multimillion-dollar market for fraudulent verification. Impersonation was the most serious problem with Twitter’s early implementation of its paid verification mechanism. It will be interesting to see how Instagram implements premium verification and whether or not users are willing to pay for it.
Only individuals who are well-known in their industries are now given the blue Instagram tick, and similarly, corporations that share their information with them and are well-known are given verified status. Instagram’s announcement that it will sell blue ticks for money comes as Twitter prepares to expand its service to new countries, including Pakistan.
Engineers have noticed the idea of offering a blue tick service on Instagram for quick cash, according to Techcrunch, but the feature isn’t yet live on the platform. The feature that will allow Instagram users to sell their blue tick services will most likely take at least six months to implement. The monthly cost of this feature will most likely remain between $5 and $8.
