European Union has designated ChatGPT as a “very large” online service under its Digital Services Act (DSA), making it the first AI chatbot to be subjected to the bloc’s enhanced regulatory requirements.
The European Commission announced the designation on Monday, alongside Reddit and the gaming platform Roblox, citing their large user bases and potential impact on European users and society.
EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said the three services would now be subject to increased scrutiny and accountability under the bloc’s digital regulations.
“ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society,” Virkkunen said.
Under the DSA, the “very large” designation applies to online platforms and search engines with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU.
The European Commission said ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox had met the threshold.
The three services will have four months to comply with additional obligations under the DSA.
The requirements include assessing and mitigating risks associated with the dissemination of illegal content, potential negative effects on minors, users’ physical and mental wellbeing, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public security.
The commission classified ChatGPT as a search engine for the purpose of bringing the service within the scope of the DSA’s enhanced regulatory framework.
OpenAI, the US company that developed ChatGPT, reported more than 159 million users in the EU at the end of March, according to the commission.
Lena-Maria Boswald of German technology think tank Interface said the move could establish a precedent for the regulation of large generative AI systems in Europe.
“OpenAI already has risk-management obligations under the AI Act, but the DSA could widen the scope,” Boswald said.
The designation also applies to Roblox, a US-based gaming platform that is particularly popular among children, and Reddit, a large online discussion platform.
Roblox reported 46.6 million active players in the EU, while Reddit said it had more than 57 million users in the bloc.
EU steps up Big Tech regulation
The new designations come as the EU intensifies enforcement of its digital regulations, particularly against major technology companies.
The bloc has separately introduced the AI Act, described as one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence. The legislation entered into force in 2024, with different requirements taking effect over several years.
The EU has also taken regulatory action against other major digital platforms under the DSA.
The European Commission recently ordered TikTok to address concerns over what it described as addictive design or face potential sanctions.
More than 30 major digital services are currently subject to the DSA’s enhanced requirements. The list includes platforms operated by companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, TikTok, X, Amazon and Shein, as well as Wikipedia and several adult-content platforms.
Companies found to have violated the DSA can face fines of up to six per cent of their annual worldwide turnover.
In cases involving serious and repeated violations, the EU can also impose restrictions on a platform’s ability to operate within the bloc.
The European Commission has so far imposed DSA penalties on three companies — shopping platforms Temu and AliExpress, and Elon Musk’s social media platform X.
X was fined 120 million euros, equivalent to about 138 million dollars, over transparency and other alleged violations.
