The decision, announced Monday, August 31, marks the first time an AI chatbot has been designated a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the DSA. Reddit and Roblox have been classified as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs).
The designations apply to digital services with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU. OpenAI reported that ChatGPT’s search function averaged around 159 million monthly active users in the bloc during the six months ending in March 2026. Reddit reported 57.2 million users, while Roblox had around 46.6 million.
The European Commission considers ChatGPT a “hybrid service” because, in addition to responding to users through artificial intelligence, it can search the internet and provide information from online sources. The classification therefore places it in the same regulatory category as major search engines.
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“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, the European Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.
New obligations for the three services
The three companies now face additional requirements designed to address risks associated with their large user bases.
Among other obligations, they must assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to the dissemination of illegal content, the protection of minors, users’ physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public security.
They will also be subject to independent audits and must provide access to certain data for vetted researchers. The rules also require very large digital services to offer users recommendation options that are not based on profiling.
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have four months to comply with the additional requirements.
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OpenAI said it was preparing to meet the new compliance requirements, while Reddit said it was committed to complying with the DSA.
Roblox said it was “proud to be the first gaming platform” to receive the designation in the EU and said safety was “foundational to everything we do.”
The European Commission will oversee compliance with the rules alongside Ireland’s Coimisiún na Meán, which is the digital services coordinator for ChatGPT and Reddit, and the Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets for Roblox.
Growing EU scrutiny of Big Tech
The move expands the scope of the DSA as Brussels increases its oversight of major online services. The regulation has already been used against companies including Temu, AliExpress and X.
Companies found to violate the DSA can face fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover. The EU has already imposed hundreds of millions of euros in penalties under the law, including a €550 million fine against AliExpress and a €200 million penalty against Temu.
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The decision also comes amid tensions between Brussels and Washington over European digital regulation. The US administration has criticized EU enforcement against American technology companies and threatened retaliation against countries imposing digital rules targeting US firms.
The European Commission, however, maintains that its digital regulations apply to companies regardless of where they are headquartered.
With ChatGPT’s new classification, the EU is also extending its digital oversight into the rapidly developing field of generative AI, recognizing the growing role of AI assistants as gateways to information available online.
