EU Designates ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox Under Digital Services Act

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Friday designated OpenAI‘s ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms or Search Engines under the Digital Services Act (DSA), triggering stricter regulatory obligations.

The classification marked the first time an artificial intelligence chatbot has been designated as a ‘very large online search engine’ under the EU’s landmark digital legislation.

Reddit and Roblox were designated as ‘very large online platforms’ due to each exceeding 45 million average monthly users in the European Union, a threshold established by the DSA.

Designated services are now required to comply with additional DSA obligations within four months, including systemic-risk controls, independent audits, and data sharing, according to the European Commission.

OpenAI reported approximately 159.1 million average monthly active recipients for ChatGPT search in the EU for the six months ending March 31, 2026.

The designation also imposes specific rules for recommender systems and advertising practices on these platforms.

Henna Virkkunen, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said the designations are not findings of wrongdoing but rather a trigger for enhanced regulatory oversight.

Enforcement procedures are separate, and non-compliance with DSA obligations could result in fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s global annual revenue.

The DSA aims to make online platforms more accountable for the content they host and the services they provide, particularly those with significant reach within the EU.

Other services previously designated under the DSA include social media giants, e-commerce platforms like AliExpress, and search engines.

The Commission continues to monitor user numbers across online services to ensure compliance with the DSA’s thresholds.

Source: Search Engine Journal