ChatGPT to face stricter regulation in the EU
openai regulation
| Source: HN | Original article
The EU will impose stricter rules on ChatGPT, requiring OpenAI to address risks to minors, mental health and illegal content.
ChatGPT has been placed under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) as a “Very Large Online Search Engine,” meaning the chatbot will now be subject to the regime’s toughest safety and accountability obligations. The move, announced on Monday, adds ChatGPT to the same list as Reddit and Roblox, which were designated very large online platforms just days earlier. EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said the decision reflects the service’s “large impact on our citizens and society.”
The new status obliges OpenAI to put in place concrete measures to protect minors, safeguard user mental health and curb the spread of illegal content. It also opens the company to DSA‑driven oversight, including risk‑assessment reporting and possible enforcement actions if standards are not met. This is the first time an AI‑driven chatbot has been treated as a very large online search engine, marking a watershed moment for European regulation of generative AI.
As we reported on 31 August 2026, the EU had already begun classifying high‑traffic digital services as “very large online platforms,” triggering stricter scrutiny under the DSA. The latest step extends that framework to AI‑centric services, signalling that regulators see chat‑based models as comparable to traditional search and social platforms in terms of societal influence.
What to watch next: OpenAI’s rollout of DSA‑compliant safeguards, any formal guidance or penalties issued by the European Commission, and whether other AI chatbots will receive similar designations. The development also raises questions about how the DSA will shape AI product design across Europe and could spur further legislative initiatives aimed at AI safety and transparency.
Sources
Back to AIPULSEN