The European Commission just told OpenAI something the company probably didn’t want to hear: ChatGPT is a search engine now, at least in the eyes of EU regulators. The designation, announced on August 31, 2026, classifies ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act, putting it in the same regulatory weight class as established search giants.
It’s the first time a standalone AI chatbot has earned that particular label, and it comes with a four-month countdown. ChatGPT, along with newly designated platforms Reddit and Roblox, must comply with enhanced DSA obligations by January 2027 or face fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.
Why ChatGPT counts as a search engine
The DSA draws a clear line: any online service exceeding 45 million average monthly active users in the EU gets elevated scrutiny. ChatGPT didn’t just cross that threshold. It obliterated it, reporting approximately 159.1 million average monthly users across the bloc.
But size alone isn’t what triggered the search engine label. The Commission evaluated ChatGPT’s interactive web-search features, the functionality that lets users ask questions and receive answers synthesized from live internet sources. That capability, in Brussels’ view, makes ChatGPT functionally equivalent to a search engine rather than merely a chatbot or content platform.
