EU Commission designates ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox under DSA
| Source: HN | Original article
The EU Commission has classified ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online services under the Digital Services Act.
As we reported on 31 August 2026, the European Commission has formally designated OpenAI’s ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The three services each confirm they serve at least 45 million average‑monthly users in the EU, triggering the Act’s highest‑risk tier.
The designation lifts the Commission’s investigative powers over the services and obliges them to meet a strict compliance timetable. Within four months they must conduct systemic risk‑assessment reports, publish transparent moderation policies and put in place rapid‑response mechanisms for illegal content or harmful AI outputs. Failure to comply can attract fines of up to 6 percent of worldwide annual turnover – a penalty that could reach billions for firms of this scale.
Why it matters is twofold. First, the move extends the DSA’s reach to generative‑AI search tools, signalling that regulators view AI‑driven information retrieval on a par with traditional search engines. Second, it places two of the internet’s most socially active platforms under the same heavy‑handed scrutiny, potentially reshaping content‑moderation practices across the EU’s digital market.
Looking ahead, the coming weeks will reveal how quickly the three companies can satisfy the DSA’s reporting requirements. Watch for the Commission’s first‑quarter assessment reports, which will indicate whether any of the services are already at risk of enforcement action. Parallel to that, industry observers expect the EU to test the four‑month clock on other emerging services that hover near the 45‑million‑user threshold, potentially expanding the list of VLOPs in the months to come. The outcome will set a benchmark for how AI‑centric platforms are regulated across Europe and could reverberate globally.
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