https://greyhive.com/videos/watch/f20e2e47-fe93-4027-8a15-52007f2e03cf In this no-BS episode of War HOGG Words of Wisdom, 29-year U.S. Army Special Operations veteran Rick Hogg calls out the Instagram verification blue checkmark as a total "fraud" and "scam." After trying Meta's Business Standard plan free trial, Rick reveals why the promised perks—like the verification badge, impersonation protection, enhanced customer support, upgraded profile features, search optimization, and priority help—are completely useless for real creators, especially in the firearms and tactical space.Key takeaways from the episode: No Real Benefits: No boost in visibility, failed tagging, and content still hidden from non-followers despite the blue check. Support Failures: "Enhanced support" just loops back to general Meta help with zero responses—even after phone calls. Rick's related page (War HOGG Tactical) got deactivated with no resolution. Censorship Issues: Meta's community guidelines supposedly allow firearms promotion for businesses, but posts get flagged for mentioning censorship or anything 2A-related. Small businesses in firearms, knives, and tactical gear are being throttled and manipulated. Follower Manipulation: Accounts lose followers without user action—Rick warns it's platform interference at play. Comparison to X: Unlike Elon's X blue check, Instagram's does "nothing" except drain your wallet at $15/month. Better Alternatives: Skip the hype and focus on platforms you control. Join the War HOGG community at warhogg.com for interactive content, free speech, and real engagement. Growing presence on X too! Rick also promotes the Firearms Training Notebook for planning dry and live fire sessions—available at warhogg.com, kelleydefense.com, or Amazon. Plus, a shoutout to the NRA for inviting the podcast to their convention.Housekeeping reminder: Prioritize the Five Fs—fitness, family, finances (don't waste on this scam), faith, and firearms training. Be 1% better every day with gratitude and acts of kindness. Hosted by Rick Hogg and presented by On The Range Podcast with Mark Kelley. Full episodes and exclusive CREW content at ontherangepodcast.com. War HOGG Tactical: https://www.warhogg.com Kelley Defense: https://www.kelleydefense.com On The Range Podcast: https://www.ontherangepodcast.com Instagram: @warhoggtactical | @kelleydefense | @ontherangepodcast Join the CREW for uncensored discussions: https://www.warhogg.com/crew Subscribe for unfiltered veteran insights, tactical tips, 2A advocacy, firearms training advice, and real-talk on social media censorship.#InstagramVerified #BlueCheckmarkScam #MetaVerification #NotWorthIt #WarHOGG #OnTheRangePodcast #RickHogg #TacticalCommunity #2ARights #FirearmsTraining #SocialMediaCensorship #VeteranPodcast #SpecialOpsWisdom #InstagramTips #ContentCreatorHacks #NRA #DryFireTraining #PodcastEpisode Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:37:59 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://greyhive.com https://greyhive.com/lazy-static/avatars/5746210d-885d-44b2-9be0-92bf1e4d34df.webp https://greyhive.com/videos/watch/f20e2e47-fe93-4027-8a15-52007f2e03cf All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://greyhive.com/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.