(Yicai Global) June 2 -- Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, is asking public welfare accounts, which include charities and social work, not to engage in money-making and attention-seeking activities such as e-commerce and livestreaming.

The new regulations, which will take effect on July 1, forbid the use of public welfare as a means to attract attention, deceive fans or illegally profit, Douyin said on its WeChat account today.

A very small number of creators open accounts that pretend to help farmers, the poor or disabled, and fabricate scenarios such as "a difficult life" and "dilapidated housing" so as to ask for donations and other forms of assistance. This has had a negative impact on the platform, the Beijing-based firm said.

To carry out fundraising for charity on Douyin, the account needs to be verified by the company, it said. Verified public welfare accounts must be operated directly by the applicant, whether an institution or individual, and must not be run by a third party.

Douyin has a zero-tolerance policy on pseudo-public welfare content and accounts that are found to have deceived the public and are not properly labeled. Since April, Douyin has removed 1,131 videos, permanently banned 3,518 accounts and removed new fans who were misled into following such accounts.

Editor: Kim Taylor