ChatGPT search is becoming a much larger part of Europe’s online information market, according to data OpenAI publishes for Digital Services Act compliance. The feature lets ChatGPT access and use current web information in its answers, and the latest figures suggest usage has risen sharply in the European Union.
What OpenAI reported
A report filed by OpenAI Ireland Limited says ChatGPT search had roughly 41.3 million average monthly active “recipients” for the six-month period ending March 31. That compares with approximately 11.2 million average monthly active recipients for the six-month period ending October 31, 2024.
The increase matters because the Digital Services Act uses monthly active recipients to determine when online platforms or search engines face additional obligations. OpenAI regularly publishes information about ChatGPT search as part of its compliance with the DSA, which regulates many aspects of online services in European nations.
The DSA defines monthly active recipients as “[people] actually engaging with the service at least once in a given period of time” by “being exposed to information disseminated on the online interface of the online platform, such as viewing it or listening to it, or by providing information.”
Why the 45 million mark matters
One part of the Digital Services Act applies extra requirements to “very large” online platforms or search engines. The source describes that category as services with over 45 million average monthly recipients.
If ChatGPT search keeps growing on its current path, it may soon be subject to those requirements. The possible obligations include allowing users to opt out of recommendation systems and profiling, sharing certain data with researchers and authorities, and performing external auditing.
The consequences for noncompliance are also significant. Online platforms that do not comply with the DSA’s rules could face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover. A platform that continually refuses to comply could also face a temporary suspension in the EU.
Search habits are shifting, but Google remains dominant
ChatGPT Search has made inroads against incumbents like Google since debuting last year. The available figures do not show it overtaking traditional search, but they do show that AI-powered search is gaining enough use to draw regulatory attention.
A poll published in September found that 8% of people said they would choose ChatGPT over Google as their primary search engine. Even so, Google remains far ahead as an online search tool. By one estimate, it handles 373 times more searches than ChatGPT.
That contrast is important. ChatGPT search can grow quickly and still remain much smaller than Google. But under the DSA, scale does not have to mean market leadership. Crossing a threshold can bring a service into a tougher compliance category even while larger incumbents continue to dominate overall usage.
Reliability remains part of the debate
The growth of ChatGPT search also comes with questions about accuracy. Researchers have found that ChatGPT search and other AI-powered search engines can be less reliable than conventional search depending on the query.
According to one study, ChatGPT incorrectly identified 67% of searched-for articles. Another study found accuracy problems involving ChatGPT’s handling of news content, including content from publishers that have licensing agreements with OpenAI.
Those findings matter because search is not only about retrieving links. Users turn to search tools to understand current events, verify information, and find sources. When an AI system summarizes or selects web information inside a conversational answer, reliability becomes central to how much users should trust the result.
What comes next
The immediate question is whether ChatGPT search crosses the DSA’s “very large” threshold. The latest reported figure, roughly 41.3 million average monthly active recipients, places it below 45 million but close enough that continued growth could change its regulatory position.
For OpenAI, that would mean more than another usage milestone. It could bring stricter requirements around user choice, data access, and auditing. For users, it would mark another step in the shift from traditional search boxes toward AI systems that retrieve, interpret, and present web information inside a chat interface.