´óÏó´«Ã½

Facebook parent company Meta has rolled out a paid verification service in the United States.

Similar to Elon Musk's Twitter Blue service, Meta Verified will grant users a blue tick for $14.99 (£12) per month on iOS and Android devices, or $11.99 (£10) per month on the website.

The service will be available on Instagram and Facebook.

The new feature comes after Meta's announcement earlier this week that it would lay off 10,000 employees.

Meta Verified subscribers must be at least 18 years old and will need to submit a government ID in exchange for impersonation protection, direct access to customer service, and their blue tick.

In November Twitter announced a verification process, which it quickly jettisoned after the blue tick system was used to impersonate politicians and celebrities.

The company relaunched Twitter Blue several weeks later with different coloured ticks for individuals, companies, and governments.

Meta Verified is launching in the US after two months of testing Meta Verified in Australia and New Zealand.

For nearly two decades Facebook has been free. It's relied on advertising revenue, which makes up the vast majority of the company's revenue.

As advertising revenue continues to decline, Meta is looking for different revenue streams.

Other Silicon Valley social networks Snap, Telegram and Twitter have also launched paid verification as a way to generate revenue outside of advertising.

A paid verification service marks a step away from the well-known quote about Facebook: "If the product is free, then you are the product".