The European Union has placed ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox under the strictest tier of its Digital Services Act, significantly increasing regulatory oversight of three major U.S.-based technology services. ChatGPT has been designated a “Very Large Online Search Engine,” while Reddit and Roblox are now classified as “Very Large Online Platforms,” after each reported reaching at least 45 million average monthly users in the European Union. The designations require the services to assess and mitigate systemic risks involving illegal content, minors, physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, elections and public security, while submitting to heightened transparency, auditing and regulatory requirements. The move is particularly significant for artificial intelligence because European authorities are treating ChatGPT’s ability to answer questions and search the web as sufficient to bring an AI assistant within regulations originally constructed around large online platforms and search engines.
Key Takeaways
- ChatGPT has become the first major standalone AI chatbot classified as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, potentially establishing an important regulatory precedent for other AI services.
- Reddit and Roblox were designated Very Large Online Platforms after crossing the EU’s 45-million-monthly-user threshold, placing all three services under substantially greater regulatory supervision.
- The companies must evaluate and mitigate systemic risks involving illegal content, children, user well-being, fundamental rights, elections and public safety, while facing audits, regulatory data-access requirements and potentially substantial penalties for violations.
In-Depth
The European Union has expanded its toughest tier of digital regulation to ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox, bringing three American technology services under direct European supervision. The decision follows disclosures showing each service exceeded the Digital Services Act threshold of 45 million average monthly users in the bloc. ChatGPT was classified as a Very Large Online Search Engine, while Reddit and Roblox were designated Very Large Online Platforms.
The classification is especially notable for ChatGPT. Regulators concluded that an artificial-intelligence assistant capable of answering queries and searching the web can legally function as an online search engine. That interpretation could establish a precedent as AI systems increasingly replace search tools for information gathering.
The companies must comply with requirements aimed at identifying and mitigating systemic risks involving illegal content, minors, physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, elections and public security. They also face independent audits and obligations involving access to data for regulators and qualified researchers.
The broader question is whether Europe’s regulatory approach protects users without allowing government supervision to become an expanding mechanism for controlling lawful speech, algorithms and online services. The DSA gives regulators substantial authority over companies once they reach sufficient scale, including potential penalties reaching 6 percent of worldwide annual turnover for violations.
For American technology companies, the designation underscores a growing transatlantic divide. European policymakers continue expanding centralized oversight of major digital services, while critics warn that aggressive regulation can impose compliance costs, inhibit innovation and indirectly influence how platforms govern speech beyond Europe’s borders.
Sources
- https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-designates-chatgpt-reddit-roblox-under-digital-services-act
- https://www.reuters.com/world/chatgpt-reddit-roblox-adhere-eus-very-large-platform-rules-2026-08-31/
- https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/31/eu-places-chatgpt-reddit-and-roblox-under-strictest-digital-safety-rules
- https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/986682/openai-chatgpt-eu-dsa