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ChatGPT designated Very Large Online Search Engine by EU

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ChatGPT designated Very Large Online Search Engine by EU

The European Commission has designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc's rulebook for major online services and platforms. In the same announcement, the Commission designated Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms, a related but distinct DSA category, subjecting both to the same set of obligations. Under the DSA, a service is classed as "Very Large" once it reaches at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU. ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox all have until the end of December 2026 to bring their operations into compliance.

The designation means OpenAI will now be held accountable for mitigating risks tied to ChatGPT's impact on minors, on users' mental health, and on the spread of illegal content within the EU. The DSA's rules also bar platforms from targeting ads at minors or from using a person's sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or political beliefs to target ads, and they require platforms to be more transparent about how their recommendation algorithms work.

Henna Virkkunen, the EU's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in the announcement: "These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society."

Key facts

  • The European Commission designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the EU's Digital Services Act, while Reddit and Roblox were designated Very Large Online Platforms.
  • The DSA's "Very Large" threshold is at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU.
  • ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have until the end of December 2026 to comply with the DSA's rules.
  • The DSA bars ad targeting at minors and ad targeting based on sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or political beliefs, and requires more transparency about recommendation algorithms.
  • OpenAI must now address risks tied to ChatGPT's effects on minors, user mental health and the spread of illegal content in the EU.

Why it matters

This is the EU folding a conversational AI assistant into the same strict regulatory tier it uses for major search engines and social platforms. Once a service crosses the DSA's Very Large threshold, it takes on binding obligations around risk mitigation, ad targeting and algorithmic transparency rather than voluntary guidelines, so the designation changes what OpenAI is legally required to do inside the EU, not just what it is encouraged to do.

Who it affects

OpenAI and ChatGPT are directly named, alongside Reddit and Roblox, which received the closely related but distinct "Very Large Online Platform" designation in the same announcement. EU users, including minors, are the intended beneficiaries: the DSA's restrictions on ad targeting and its transparency requirements for recommendation systems apply to how these services treat people inside the bloc.

How to use it

There is no product or price here to use; the practical takeaway is compliance. OpenAI, Reddit and Roblox have until the end of December 2026 to meet the DSA's rules, which include not targeting ads at minors, not targeting ads using sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or political beliefs, and disclosing more about how recommendation algorithms work. EU users should expect these changes to roll out on that timeline rather than immediately.

How solid is it

The claim rests on the European Commission's own announcement, quoting an EU executive vice-president by name and title, so the designation itself is solid and official. What the source does not explain is why ChatGPT received the "Very Large Online Search Engine" label rather than the "Very Large Online Platform" label given to Reddit and Roblox in the same action, and it gives no date for when the announcement was made or the individual EU user counts behind each designation, only the shared 45 million threshold.

Risks and caveats

The compliance deadline is only a few months out, so how OpenAI actually changes ChatGPT's handling of minors, mental health risks and illegal content in the EU remains to be seen; the source describes the obligation, not the implementation. It also does not say whether OpenAI, Reddit or Roblox has responded to or intends to contest the designation.

“These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society.”

— Henna Virkkunen, EU executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy