July 7, 2025: Meta’s premium subscription service, Meta Verified, has come under intense scrutiny as several users—including paid subscribers—report that their Facebook and Instagram accounts have been suspended without warning or clear justification.
The Verified plan, which offers perks such as a blue check badge, enhanced customer support, and impersonation protection, has been marketed as a premium-tier experience. But for many users, especially small business owners and creators, that promise is falling apart.
“Verified, But Banned”
According to a report by TechCrunch, a number of users who subscribed to Meta Verified in hopes of better support and visibility are now struggling to reinstate their accounts. The most common complaint? Lack of direct help, despite the service claiming to offer superior customer support.
Many affected users say their accounts were wrongfully flagged and suspended by Meta’s AI-based moderation systems, with no prior warning and minimal recourse for appeals. Some users also claim to have lost business revenues and years of content overnight.
AI Gone Too Far?
Sources suggest that Meta is heavily reliant on artificial intelligence to detect policy violations, impersonation, and spam. However, the system appears to be suffering from accuracy issues, mistakenly suspending even legitimate accounts that have been verified and paid for.
“Meta’s AI moderation is acting like a hammer looking for nails. Even paid subscribers aren’t being spared,” said one digital marketing expert. “It’s damaging Meta’s credibility.”
No Help in Sight
While Meta promises “direct access to customer support” as part of the Verified package, users say their requests for reinstatement have either been ignored or met with generic auto-replies.
“I’m paying ₹699 a month and still can’t talk to a human when my account is banned,” one small business owner told TechCrunch. “What’s the point of being ‘Verified’?”
India Rollout and Business Impact
Meta launched Verified for businesses in India in 2024, offering bundled packages across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. These packages were aimed at helping businesses improve visibility and get priority support.
But with many Verified business accounts suspended, entrepreneurs say they’ve been cut off from their primary sales and outreach platforms, risking major financial losses.
The Bigger Picture
The controversy highlights a larger problem with AI-driven moderation and automated support systems in tech platforms. While these systems offer scale, they often lack nuance—leading to devastating consequences for users who rely on social media professionally.
Meta has yet to issue a public statement addressing the growing concerns from its Verified users.