The European Commission has designated three more providers as very large online services. That means OpenAI's AI chatbot ChatGPT, along with the internet forum Reddit and the gaming platform Roblox, now fall under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Brussels authority announced the decision on August 31, 2026.
ChatGPT classified as a search engine for the first time
According to the announcement, ChatGPT now counts, like Google, as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE). Reddit and Roblox, by contrast, are classified as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOP). That classification requires at least 45 million average monthly active users across the EU. The affected services have four months to meet the requirements of Articles 33 to 43 of the DSA, which include publishing a risk assessment.
Unlike Google, ChatGPT isn't a search engine in the traditional sense. According to the Commission, though, ChatGPT can draw on internet search queries when interacting with users. "ChatGPT is therefore a hybrid service that qualifies as an online search engine under the DSA," the announcement states. When the DSA was adopted in autumn 2022, chatbots like ChatGPT weren't yet on the market, and this classification shows how the Commission is retroactively adapting the regulation to new types of services.
User numbers ranging from just above to well above the threshold
According to the Commission's overview, ChatGPT currently has 159.1 million active users in the EU, well above the threshold. Reddit has 57.2 million EU users, while Roblox, with 46.6 million users, sits just above the mark. For oversight of ChatGPT, the European Commission has to work with Ireland's relevant authority; for Reddit and Roblox, the Netherlands' national coordinator shares responsibility.