TikTok, the Chinese social media app, announced a new set of guidelines for accounts as the US midterm elections draw closer on Wednesday.

In a blog post on their website, TikTok has said that accounts belonging to US government departments, politicians and political parties need to be verified going forward and videos geared towards fundraising will be banned. 

The move comes amid a push by other social media platforms to clamp down on political misinformation ahead of the midterms which are scheduled to begin on November 8. Companies like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram as well as Twitter have long faced flak from the government and its users over their unwillingness to moderate content on their platforms.

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Political accounts are required to submit to verification should they desire to post on the platform, TikTok said in the blog post, adding that the trials for mandatory verification would begin on Wednesday. Verified accounts will receive a blue tick next to their name, indicating that TikTok has authenticated the identity behind the profiles. 

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The ban on videos on fundraising is new. However, the company has placed a ban on political advertising via paid ads or through user generated branded content since 2019. The company has fought to keep its platform a place meant for dance videos, lip syncing short videos and comedy skits.

However, going forward the company has stated that political parties and politicians on the platform will continue to have access but their access advertising will be turned off.

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TikTok will provide some advertising access to the government, saying, “We will continue to allow government organizations to advertise in limited circumstances, and they will be required to be working with a TikTok representative.” Such an incident would occur when the government wants to boost a public health, like a COVID-19 booster campaign.