The controversial rise of verified Instagram accounts, from elitism to profit

In recent times, a new phenomenon has taken the social media world by storm: the verification of Moroccan personalities, whether famous or regular individuals, for their Instagram accounts. 

The coveted blue checkmark, once considered a mark of prestige and recognition, has become a hot topic of discussion and controversy. 

Ayoub Marchich, a renowned expert in communication sites and director of one of Morocco’s largest digital companies, sheds light on the evolving landscape of Instagram verification.

In an exclusive interview with Hespress AR, Marchich revealed that Instagram’s verification process has transformed into a monthly subscription service, with users required to pay $11.99 to obtain the elusive blue badge. 

In the past, this privilege was restricted to a mere 5% of users, including celebrities, influencers, content creators, and entrepreneurs. The verification aimed to distinguish these individuals as public figures due to their substantial follower count and influence.

The inspiration behind this new payment-based verification system appears to be the announcement made by tech giant Elon Musk on Twitter. 

Following Musk’s declaration of a verification technology launch with a fee, Instagram’s management seemingly saw an opportunity to capitalize on the trend.

The decision proved lucrative, as statistics revealed a surge in demand for the paid verification service when initially introduced via Twitter. 

Instagram amassed an astonishing $1.7 billion in monthly revenue within a short span of activating the feature for its users to verify their personal or professional accounts.

Marchich pointed out that the criteria for verification have drastically changed. No longer a matter of exclusivity, anyone can now open a new account and verify it using simple identification documents such as a passport, identity card, or driver’s license. 

This streamlined process takes less than half an hour, far from the previous requirements that necessitated being a public figure, having extensive media coverage conducted on the subject of the page, and meeting various stringent conditions.

While the monetization of verification has allowed Instagram to reap substantial profits, Marchich believes that not everyone will sustain the monthly subscription in the long run. 

Eventually, only those genuinely interested in the feature and those who can afford it will remain verified, effectively creating a selection process for public figures.

Marchich added that Instagram and Facebook are working on a new update to reinstate the value of verification. Acknowledging that the current system risks becoming a mere revenue stream without intrinsic worth, the platform’s management aims to introduce a new golden badge, which cannot be bought or sold, to maintain the integrity of the verification process.