Instagram may be considering introducing a paid verification system, following in the footsteps of Twitter. This new system would allow users to pay a fee to receive a blue verified badge next to their profile.
The possibility of this new feature came to light after reverse engineer, Alessandro Paluzzi, discovered code snippets referring to a “paid blue badge” and a new subscription product in both Instagram and Facebook’s app.
Paluzzi shared screenshots of the app’s code with TechCrunch that included lines stating “IG_NME_PAID_BLUE_BADGE_IDV” and “FB_NME_PAID_BLUE_BADGE_IDV.” He suggested that “IDV” could stand for identity verification.
Paluzzi also mentioned that he found references to a new type of subscription product that wasn’t previously present in the app. This same reference was also found in the latest build of the Facebook app. However, this information should be approached with caution, as the feature is not yet visible inside the app.
While these code snippets give us a glimpse of what may be in the works, it is important to note that nothing has been officially announced by Instagram or Facebook. It is also not yet clear how the paid verification system would work, it could be a one-time fee or based on a subscription model, similar to Twitter’s approach.
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