The EU Commission is classifying ChatGPT as a very large search engine for the first time, putting the chatbot under stricter oversight rules. The Commission announced the move Monday in Brussels.
OpenAI's chatbot can search the web and answer user queries. That makes it a search engine under the Digital Services Act (DSA). ChatGPT reaches at least 45 million monthly users in the EU, the threshold for this classification.
The Commission is also reclassifying Reddit and Roblox as very large online platforms. Both count as platforms because users can share content from other users there.
All three services now have four months, until the end of December 2026, to meet extra obligations. That includes assessing risks to users, such as illegal content, dangers to minors, or election interference. The Commission gains more audit powers as a result, working with authorities in Ireland and the Netherlands.
Henna Virkkunen, vice president of the EU Commission, said the services would have to submit to stricter oversight. In total, 28 platforms and search engines are now classified under the DSA.
