We normally associate verified profiles on social media with celebrities. The infamous blue checkmark verifies the profile was the actual person/brand/business it appears to be. However, since the rise of fake profiles has trickled down to the average everyday person, it's becoming an even bigger concern. Everyday, more scammers lurk social media to steal photos from real profiles to make fake pages acting to be people they are not. By doing this, scammers are able to trick your friends in attempt to lure them into scams.
This issue has created an opportunity for social media to profit, opps, I mean combat this matter by providing a subscription plan that will show the infamous blue checkmark on your profile page for others to know your page is real/ verified.
Twitter has implemented Twitter Blue, their blue checkmark subscription. Currently, for $8 a month, you can have the verified blue checkmark on your profile. This feature has the potential to become a trend because Instagram & Facebook has jumped on the bandwagon and just released their blue checkmark subscription called Meta Verified. Right now the Meta Verified is in beta in limited locations, but that is probably to work through the kinks before it's rolled out to the rest of us. But is it worth it, though?
With Meta Verified, you’ll get:
A verified badge, confirming you’re the real you and that your account has been authenticated with a government ID.
More protection from impersonation with proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences.
Help when you need it with access to a real person for common account issues.
Increased visibility and reach with prominence in some areas of the platform– like search, comments, and recommendations.
Exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.
In the beta stage, the monthly fee is $11.99 for the blue checkmark to be on your profile on the web and then $14.99 for iOS and Android. A part of being verified, the platform will allow you to submit your government-issued I.D. along with some other requirements to verify that you are who you say you are.
Here's Where They Lose me
Is social media THAT serious (for me) that I want to let them have a copy of my government-issued I.D.?
If social media understands there's a growing problem of scammers, why charge a fee to the real people for it?
I have yet to hear about my profile being copied ... that I know of. So I don't see any sense in me verifying right now. What would I gain?
Until I Make Up My Mind, I'll Continue To Do The Following:
Keep my page private and anything I make public won't be personal stuff.
When I accept new friends on social media, I'll do my best to make sure it's a real page.
Curate my newsfeed better.
Be picky about what I share on social media.
I'm keeping it simple due to my use of social media.
MY CONCLUSION: With all of that being said, I could get my profile's blue checkmark verified and end up getting hacked. LOL, but no LOL. Keep your password strong and make the call for yourself.
Comments