EU Designates ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine Under DSA

The European Commission on Monday designated OpenAI’s ChatGPT as a “Very Large Online Search Engine” under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), placing the AI chatbot under additional regulatory obligations.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been designated a Very Large Online Search Engine under the European Union’s Digital Services Act. [Photo: ChatGPT X]

The Commission said ChatGPT qualifies as a search engine because it can respond to users’ prompts and queries while also searching the web.

It described ChatGPT as a “hybrid service” that qualifies as an online search engine under the DSA. The Commission also designated Reddit and Roblox as “Very Large Online Platforms.”

The three services reported reaching at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU, the threshold for designation as a very large online platform or search engine. 

The designations trigger additional DSA obligations.

The companies have four months, until the end of November 2026, to comply with requirements covering systemic risks such as the spread of illegal content, risks to minors, fundamental rights, public security and electoral processes. 

The European Commission already lists Google and Microsoft among its designated very large online search engines. Anthropic’s Claude is not currently among the Commission’s designated VLOSEs.

The DSA allows the Commission to impose fines of up to 6% of a company’s worldwide annual turnover for certain serious violations.