Monday’s top tech news: paid verification comes to Meta – The Verge

Facebook and Instagram are testing selling you blue checks for $12 a month

2023-02-19T11:25:57-05:00

Meta's testing paid verification for Instagram and Facebook for $11.99 per month on web and $14.99 per month on mobile. In an update on Instagram, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that a "Meta Verified" account will grant users a verified badge, increased visibility on the platforms, prioritized customer support, and more. The feature's rolling out to Australia and New Zealand this week and will arrive in more countries "soon."

"This week we're starting to roll out Meta Verified - a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be y …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The AI-powered Seinfeld spoof is set to return to Twitch with new guardrails in place

2023-02-18T10:00:00-05:00

Nothing, Forever, an AI-powered Seinfeld spoof show on Twitch, was quickly becoming the next big thing on the platform. During the always-on stream, a cast of Seinfeld-adjacent characters had befuddling conversations, made weird jokes, and moved through a world of crude, blocky graphics, all backed by a laugh track and directed by AI.

But then it was suspended for two weeks after the Jerry Seinfeld-like character made transphobic remarks. That suspension is set to lift on Monday, and while its creators at Mismatch Media have been working to make sure transphobic comments won't happen again, they can't guarantee it.

The transphobic remarks …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Official: Twitter will now charge for SMS two-factor authentication

2023-02-17T21:15:15-05:00

Four hours ago, Platformer's Zoe Schiffer tweeted a scoop: Twitter would begin charging for SMS two-factor authentication.

Now, it's official: You have to pay for the privilege of using Twitter's worst form of authentication. In fact, if you don't start paying for Twitter Blue ($8 a month on Android; $11 a month on iOS) or switch your account to use a far more reliable authenticator app or physical security key, Twitter will simply turn off your 2FA after March 20th.

I know which one I would choose.

Good riddance to SMS is my feeling, given how common SIM swap hacks are these days. Heck, Twitter's own Jack Dorsey was successfully targeted …

Read the full story at The Verge.