The European Commission has officially designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine, while categorizing popular digital spaces Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act. These designations follow formal declarations from all three services confirming that their active monthly user bases within the European Union exceed the statutory threshold of 45 million users. The decision brings the total number of services subject to the EU’s strictest digital platform regulations to 28.
Because ChatGPT can search the web and interact directly with user queries, European regulators classify it as a hybrid service that functions in part as a search engine. Meanwhile, Reddit and Roblox meet the online platform definition because they enable users to publish and share third-party content across public topic hubs and interactive virtual spaces. Although all three entities were already bound by basic DSA rules, their new status subjects them to heightened regulatory oversight and stringent risk management standards.
The companies now have a four-month window, running through the end of December 2026, to ensure full compliance with these enhanced obligations. Requirements include assessing and actively mitigating systemic risks linked to algorithmic content delivery, such as the spread of illegal material, threats to public security, electoral interference, and adverse impacts on user well-being or fundamental rights. Regulators place a strong emphasis on protecting minors, a standard that holds particular relevance for gaming environment Roblox.
Under the framework, the European Commission gains direct investigative powers to inspect internal algorithms and operational mechanisms. Supervisory authority will be shared with national regulators, specifically Ireland’s Coimisiún na Meán for ChatGPT and Reddit, and the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets for Roblox. Together, European and national officials will enforce compliance to safeguard online users across the bloc.
