The European Commission announced in August 2026 that ChatGPT has been classified as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), subjecting OpenAI to tougher obligations around user safety and content moderation. Reddit and Roblox were simultaneously designated as Very Large Online Platforms under the same framework.
The DSA applies to online platforms and search engines that reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU. All three services — ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox — now have until the end of December 2026 to comply with the new requirements.
Under the DSA, OpenAI will be required to mitigate risks related to ChatGPT’s impact on minors, user mental health, and the spread of illegal content. The law also prohibits platforms from targeting ads to minors or using a person’s sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs for ad targeting. Platforms must additionally provide greater transparency about how their recommendation algorithms operate.
“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,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.
The designations reflect the EU’s broader effort to regulate major digital services that have grown to significant scale within the bloc. For OpenAI, the classification marks a notable expansion of regulatory exposure in Europe, as ChatGPT could face formal enforcement action if it fails to meet DSA standards by the December deadline.
Source: The Verge