Does Instagram plan to offer its blue verification badge process for a fee?

Instagram's source code includes the phrase "Paid for Blue Tick" which indicates that the platform, like Twitter, is considering the possibility of monetizing the blue verification badge.

Recent updates to Instagram's source code suggest that the company may ask users to pay for the verification badge. Elon Musk has implemented a similar system in the new version of Twitter.

The source code, along with the phrase "Paid for Blue Tick," refers to a new subscription service. Alessandro Paluzzi, who has previously discovered new Instagram features, has announced that these codes have also been found in the latest version of the Facebook app, indicating that the paid blue tick system may be implemented on both platforms.

Paluzzi has also discovered references to a completely new subscription service in an interview with TechCrunch. However, at present, the code only refers to a paid blue tick on Instagram and there is no reference to it inside the app.

Currently, only important figures such as celebrities, brands, and global organizations on Instagram have access to the blue verification badge. Normal users and content creators who have not gained much fame are also interested in obtaining the blue badge.

The lack of transparency about the blue badge has created a black market, to the extent that a research report last year showed that some users paid thousands of dollars to obtain the blue badge on their account.

After acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk changed the Twitter subscription service to a way that allows users to purchase the blue badge through Twitter Blue.