The checkmark used to mean one thing — this account is who it claims and notable. Then X made verification a paid subscription feature in 2023, Meta followed with its own paid tier, and the badge splintered into different meanings per platform.
The current landscape
- YouTube: verification remains a notability/identity check for larger channels — not purchasable.
- X: the standard blue mark comes with the paid subscription; separate marks exist for organisations.
- Meta (Instagram/Facebook): legacy notability badges coexist with a paid verification subscription.
- TikTok: verification is granted, not bought, weighing authenticity and notability.
Reading badges honestly
A badge now answers "is this account authentic?" more reliably than "is this account important?". For importance, the follower count and engagement still do the talking — which is exactly what our live counters exist to show, unmediated.