The UK now offers a paid version of Facebook and Instagram.

The program, which gives users extra security against impersonation, was introduced months after Elon Musk's contentious Twitter Blue launch.

A paid verification service is now being rolled out in the UK by the company that owns Facebook and Instagram.

The membership service offered by Meta is comparable to "Twitter Blue," which starts at £9.99 per month and awards users of the social media site with a blue tick.

Users of Facebook and Instagram can enroll in Meta Verified. Users must be at least 18 years old to utilize the service. To be eligible, they must also provide a legitimate ID.

The social media giant claims that customers of the Meta service will receive a verified badge, raising their level of protection against impersonation.

This, according to Meta, is partly because subscribed accounts will be watched to see if anyone is making phoney versions.

Over the coming weeks, the certified service will be made accessible in the UK. It will cost £9.99 for web use and £11.99 for iOS and Android mobile devices. When Meta Verified becomes available, those who have expressed interest in it will be notified.

The breakdown of what users will get through Meta is as follows: 

A badge that says "you're the real you and that your account has been authenticated with a government ID" is known as a verified badge.

Improved impersonation security is provided by "proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with large online audiences."

Having access to a live person for assistance with typical account concerns. Only functions are accessible that let you "express yourself in unique ways."

Since March in the US and since February in Australia and New Zealand, the verified service has been accessible.

The social media platform Meta said that it had launched its verified service to "help up-and-coming creators grow their presence and build community faster" when it first started testing it in Australia and New Zealand.

In the US, testing got started, and Meta declared that it will "remove increased reach as a subscription service for now, as we acquire more feedback and further expand Meta Verified."

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, made the decision to introduce a subscription service for his app in November 2022, which was followed by Meta's action.

At the time, it caused controversy since it did away with the practice of using blue ticks to confirm that prominent accounts belonged to the individuals they claimed to.