EU Brings ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox Under Strictest Digital Regulations

According to Euronews, the European Commission, under the Digital Services Act (DSA), has designated ChatGPT as a "Very Large Online Search Engine" and Reddit and Roblox as "Very Large Online Platforms", with all three required to comply with the EU's strictest online safety regulations within four months (by the end of November). This designation is significant—the European Commission has determined that AI chatbots capable of real-time web content retrieval are equivalent to search engines at the regulatory level, marking the first time ChatGPT has been classified in this manner. All three platforms exceed the 45 million monthly active user threshold in the EU: ChatGPT at approximately 159 million, Reddit around 57.2 million, and Roblox roughly 48 million. Under the DSA, all three platforms must conduct annual systemic risk assessments (covering areas such as illegal content, protection of minors, mental health, fundamental rights, and election security), undergo independent audits, and provide data access to regulatory authorities. Violations can result in fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover. This brings the total number of platforms subject to the strictest DSA oversight to 28.