Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that Instagram and Facebook will incorporate paid verification on both platforms. It’s a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID. Then, you get a blue badge, extra impersonation protection against accounts that are claiming to be you, and also direct access to customer support. It’s a new feature that has the potential to increase security and authenticity.

Paying for Identity Protection on Facebook

Meta Verified starts at $11.99/month on the web. On iOS, this will cost you $14.99 each month. Mark Zuckerberg also added that the subscription service will be rolled out first in New Zealand and Australia, with more countries to follow soon. As expected, Facebook users reacted with broadly the same worries as when Twitter launched its paid-for-verification subscription last year.

One verified user wrote that it’s not normal for people to pay for something that should be done by default without any subscriptions – to take down accounts impersonating them and scamming their followers. As with Twitter, users are not happy with having to pay for impersonation protection. The comments were also not keen on paying for customer support. They think that this should be free. Just like Facebook claimed back in the day that “It’s free, and always will be.”

Identity Protection Racket!

Cartoonist Rob DenBleyker wrote that people should read Mark’s post in a Joe Pesci voice, so it sounds even more like a protection racket. Zuckerberg responded to a user who suggested that these features be incorporated into the core product by emphasizing that lower levels of protection will continue to be offered for free.

He wrote that Facebook already provides protection and some support for everyone; however, verifying government IDs and providing direct access to customer support for billions of people can be costly. That said, subscription fees can cover this and will also pace how many users sign up so they will be able to ensure quality as they scale.

Rashed Belhasa, better known as YouTuber Money Kicks, recently revealed that he is in “late-stage” negotiations to fight against the five-time champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Dubai. The 20-year-old son of a billionaire already fought twice last year, so this news doesn’t come as a complete surprise.

Dubai’s Richest Teenager Vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

They say money can buy everything… including a fight with an undefeated boxing champion. Rashed Belhasa has previously been labeled as “Dubai’s richest teenager,” and it seems like his next target is a match with former pro boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight is set to take place on the helipad at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel in Dubai on February 20, 2022.

Belhasa said he’s a massive fan of Mayweather and never thought getting in the right to fight him would ever be a possibility. He was lucky, though, because Mayweather’s team apparently asked to meet his team and discuss a possible fight. The boxing legend was excited to play Belhasa, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“This will go viral!”

When talking about the upcoming fight, the YouTube star shared how pumped he was at the opportunity. His first thought after settling the fight details was that “this will go viral!” He might be onto something. Just last year, Mayweather got in the right to fight with another viral star, Logan Paul, for a total of eight rounds.

It’s Logan who’s reportedly been helping Belhasa to prepare for the fight by giving him pointers from his first-hand experience playing the boxer. Unlike Logan, however, Belhasa is staying humble about his chances of winning. He praises Mayweather for his speed and strength. After all, he says, “anything can happen.”

Who would win in this much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Rashed Belhasa? We’ll all hopefully know come February 20!