Meta tackles scams head-on by verifying Instagram and Facebook business accounts
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For those who engage in online shopping, nothing is more aggravating and disheartening than falling victim to an impersonation scam.
As online shopping continues to grow in popularity without any signs of slowing down, Meta is doing its part to ensure a safer online shopping experience for consumers.
As of this week, companies that use Facebook or Instagram may subscribe to a tool designed by Meta—the umbrella company of popular social platforms Facebook and Instagram—to verify their legitimacy.
It is a move that should help reduce incidents of online shoppers falling prey to scams.
In light of the escalating number of websites impersonating well-known brands, this step is timely.
For instance, Sportscraft, a renowned fashion label in Australia, has recently alerted its customers about the emergence of fraudulent websites claiming to represent the brand.
The innovative verification tool by Meta, dubbed 'Meta Verified', was initially available only for creators.
However, it is set to roll out on a subscription basis for businesses in Australia and a few other countries before its global implementation.
'Australia is a priority market for Meta...there is an intent to roll this out across the globe,' Harry Lowes, a Meta Executive, said.
The aim is to inspire confidence in consumers encountering a business online for the first time, with a verification badge denoting authenticity.
To obtain this seal of approval, businesses need to meet several criteria outlined by Meta.
The monthly subscription for such verification and its associated features comes with a price tag of $45.99 in Australia.
There is a valid concern regarding smaller businesses potentially being overshadowed by more prominent competitors, as money can drive what floats to the top to win consumers' dollars. However, Lowes assured that 'Meta Verified' was designed to be fair for all.
In his words, the verification tool is 'absolutely fair for everyone', focusing on account support and discoverability across the platform—particularly for smaller organisations that might lack the financial resources of larger corporations.
'It’s about businesses being able to be discovered across the platform, and it’s about account support,' Lowes said.
Subscribers to Meta Verified will receive account monitoring to identify potential impersonations and additional account support to address issues such as troubleshooting or account lockouts.
The trial phase of the subscription service will also test several features, including prioritising subscriber comments to attract potential consumers or followers.
Business accounts using Meta Verified will appear at or near the top of search results on both Instagram and Facebook, provided the user's search query exactly matches the account name.
Interested businesses can easily subscribe to these services via Meta's website.
Members, what are your thoughts on this latest development by Meta? Do you think it can help spot scams? Let us know in the comments below!
As online shopping continues to grow in popularity without any signs of slowing down, Meta is doing its part to ensure a safer online shopping experience for consumers.
As of this week, companies that use Facebook or Instagram may subscribe to a tool designed by Meta—the umbrella company of popular social platforms Facebook and Instagram—to verify their legitimacy.
It is a move that should help reduce incidents of online shoppers falling prey to scams.
Meta just introduced Meta Verified for businesses. Image source: Meta.
In light of the escalating number of websites impersonating well-known brands, this step is timely.
For instance, Sportscraft, a renowned fashion label in Australia, has recently alerted its customers about the emergence of fraudulent websites claiming to represent the brand.
The innovative verification tool by Meta, dubbed 'Meta Verified', was initially available only for creators.
However, it is set to roll out on a subscription basis for businesses in Australia and a few other countries before its global implementation.
'Australia is a priority market for Meta...there is an intent to roll this out across the globe,' Harry Lowes, a Meta Executive, said.
The aim is to inspire confidence in consumers encountering a business online for the first time, with a verification badge denoting authenticity.
To obtain this seal of approval, businesses need to meet several criteria outlined by Meta.
The monthly subscription for such verification and its associated features comes with a price tag of $45.99 in Australia.
There is a valid concern regarding smaller businesses potentially being overshadowed by more prominent competitors, as money can drive what floats to the top to win consumers' dollars. However, Lowes assured that 'Meta Verified' was designed to be fair for all.
In his words, the verification tool is 'absolutely fair for everyone', focusing on account support and discoverability across the platform—particularly for smaller organisations that might lack the financial resources of larger corporations.
'It’s about businesses being able to be discovered across the platform, and it’s about account support,' Lowes said.
Subscribers to Meta Verified will receive account monitoring to identify potential impersonations and additional account support to address issues such as troubleshooting or account lockouts.
The trial phase of the subscription service will also test several features, including prioritising subscriber comments to attract potential consumers or followers.
Business accounts using Meta Verified will appear at or near the top of search results on both Instagram and Facebook, provided the user's search query exactly matches the account name.
Interested businesses can easily subscribe to these services via Meta's website.
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