EU designates ChatGPT a Very Large Search Engine under DSA
TL;DR
- ChatGPT was classified as a Very Large Online Search Engine, making it the first AI chatbot to receive that designation under EU law.
- ChatGPT declared 159.1 million average monthly EU users, nearly four times the 45-million threshold and well above Reddit's 57.2 million and Roblox's 46 million.
- Ireland is lead DSA regulator for both OpenAI and Reddit; the Netherlands leads for Roblox, splitting enforcement across two national authorities.
The European Commission has designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, making OpenAI's chatbot the first standalone AI service brought under the bloc's toughest platform rules. Reddit and Roblox were added the same day as Very Large Online Platforms, Euronews reported.
All three crossed the 45 million monthly EU user threshold that triggers direct Commission oversight. ChatGPT reported 159 million monthly active users over the six-month period ending March 2026; Reddit reported 57.2 million; Roblox roughly 48 million.
The Commission classified ChatGPT as a "hybrid service" that qualifies as an online search engine "because it can engage with and respond to users' prompts and queries, including by searching the web." The three companies have four months, until the end of November, to conduct annual systemic risk assessments covering illegal content, minor protection, mental and physical wellbeing, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public security, submit to independent audits, and share data with regulators and vetted researchers.
"These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be subject to a higher level of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, commensurate with their significant impact on our citizens and society," said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
Non-compliance can cost up to 6% of global annual turnover. The DSA has produced roughly €870 million in fines to date, including €550 million against AliExpress, €200 million against Temu and €120 million against X.
The Commission had signalled the move in late July; today's designation makes it formal. It lands a month after the AI Act's content-labeling and watermarking rules took effect.
What others are reporting
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Engadget Read →
Frames the designations against Roblox's ongoing child safety lawsuits and OpenAI's prior failure to report threats to authorities, explaining why these three were prioritized.
Platforms and search engines with more than 45 million users a month in the region are given the designation.
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Xinhua Read →
Adds that the Commission gains new investigative powers over the specific functionalities of each service and that 28 total designations are now in force.
The three services will have four months, until the end of November, to comply with additional obligations.
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Bytes Europe Read →
Specifies national regulator assignments (Ireland for OpenAI and Reddit, Netherlands for Roblox) and explains why ChatGPT's web-browsing capability triggered a search-engine rather than platform classification.
These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny — Henna Virkkunen, European Commission
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PPC Land Read →
Details advertising repository obligations that expose previously invisible campaign-level data and benchmarks enforcement pace against Temu's two-year arc to a 200 million euro fine.
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Crypto Briefing Read →
Highlights the novelty of a hybrid service classification and notes OpenAI now navigates two simultaneous EU regimes: DSA obligations and AI Act model-safety requirements.
Non-compliance with DSA regulations can trigger fines of up to 6% of a company's global annual turnover.
Originally reported by euronews.com
Read the original article →Original headline: EU Puts ChatGPT Under DSA as First AI Service, Reddit and Roblox Added to VLOP List