ChatGPT is moving into a stricter regulatory category in the European Union. The European Commission now considers it a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, placing OpenAI under a higher level of accountability for how the service affects users and society.
The same announcement also covers Reddit and Roblox, which are now considered Very Large Online Platforms. All three services face new obligations tied to risk mitigation, advertising limits and transparency.
What changed for ChatGPT
The key shift is ChatGPT’s designation under the Digital Services Act. The source describes the DSA as a set of laws regulating major online services and platforms. Once a service is placed in the “Very Large” category, it is subject to tougher oversight.
For OpenAI, that means ChatGPT will soon be held accountable for mitigating risks linked to its impact on minors, user mental health and the spread of illegal content in the European Union. Those areas are now part of the regulatory expectations attached to ChatGPT’s scale.
The designation does not stand alone. Reddit and Roblox were also named in the European Commission’s announcement, though under a related category: Very Large Online Platforms. The result is that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox are all being pulled into the same broader DSA compliance track.
Why the “Very Large” label matters
Under the DSA, online platforms and search engines are considered “Very Large” once they reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU. That threshold is the basis for the new treatment of ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox.
The label matters because it changes the standard applied to these services. They are no longer viewed only as popular apps or online destinations. In the EU’s framework, their size gives them a large enough role in public life to justify additional scrutiny.
Henna Virkkunen, EU executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, framed the move around accountability:
“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,”
That statement captures the logic of the DSA designations. The rules are not presented as applying simply because a product uses AI or hosts user activity. They apply because the services have reached a level of use that the European Commission views as significant across the EU.
The rules now in focus
The source identifies several areas where the DSA places limits or obligations on covered services. One is advertising. The DSA restricts platforms from targeting ads to minors.
It also restricts the use of sensitive personal characteristics for ad targeting. The source lists sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and political beliefs as examples of traits that cannot be used in that way.
Another major area is transparency. The DSA requires covered platforms to provide more information about how their recommendation algorithms work. For services used by large audiences, that kind of explanation becomes part of the compliance burden.
For ChatGPT specifically, the source highlights risk mitigation around three areas:
- ChatGPT’s impact on minors in the European Union.
- Risks connected to user mental health.
- The spread of illegal content.
These obligations point to a broader regulatory expectation: large online services must show how they manage risks that can emerge at scale. The focus is not limited to one feature or one type of content. It includes the ways users encounter information, interact with systems and may be affected by the service.
The compliance timeline
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have until the end of December 2026 to comply with the rules. That deadline gives each service a defined window to align with the DSA obligations that follow from the new designations.
The timing is important because the announcement is not just a symbolic classification. It starts a compliance period for three major online services that operate across different parts of the internet: AI search-style interaction, social discussion and online gaming.
Each service will face the rules through its own product model. ChatGPT is identified as a Very Large Online Search Engine. Reddit and Roblox are identified as Very Large Online Platforms. The common point is scale, and the common outcome is a higher standard under EU regulation.
What this signals
The European Commission’s move shows how the DSA is being applied beyond traditional social networks. ChatGPT’s inclusion makes clear that large AI services can be drawn into the same regulatory framework when they meet the EU user threshold.
For users, the practical meaning is that the EU expects more accountability from services that shape how people find information, encounter recommendations or interact online. For companies, the designation raises the bar for documenting and managing risks.
The source does not describe every step OpenAI, Reddit or Roblox will take before the deadline. What it does establish is the regulatory direction: ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox are now in a category where their size brings stricter obligations under the Digital Services Act.