The European Union has placed ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox under the toughest level of its Digital Services Act (DSA), bringing the three popular online services under stronger rules for safety, transparency and accountability.
The European Commission announced the move after all three services reported that they have at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU. Crossing that level means a service can be classified as a “very large” platform or search engine under the DSA.
ChatGPT has been designated as a Very Large Online Search Engine, or VLOSE. Reddit and Roblox have been classified as Very Large Online Platforms, known as VLOPs.
The classification of ChatGPT is especially important because the EU considers its ability to search and provide information from the web similar enough to an online search engine for the DSA rules to apply. This brings a major generative AI service directly into one of the EU’s strictest digital oversight categories.
The new status does not mean that ChatGPT, Reddit or Roblox have been found guilty of breaking EU law. Instead, their large number of users means they now have additional responsibilities because problems on these services could potentially affect millions of people.
Under the stricter rules, the companies will have to identify and reduce major risks linked to their platforms and algorithms. These risks can include the spread of illegal content, possible harm to children, threats to users’ physical or mental well-being, and problems affecting fundamental rights.
They must also consider how their services could be misused in ways that affect elections, public security or society more broadly.
Protection of younger users could be particularly important for Roblox because the gaming platform has a large audience of children and teenagers. The EU has been increasing pressure on major online platforms to provide stronger safeguards for minors and reduce risks created by recommendation systems, harmful content and other platform features.
Reddit will also face greater scrutiny over how content is shared and recommended across its communities. As a platform built around user-created posts and discussions, it will have to show that it is properly assessing and addressing major risks connected to content and its recommendation systems.
For ChatGPT, the decision adds another layer of European oversight at a time when governments are trying to decide how existing digital laws should apply to rapidly growing AI services. The move shows that AI tools may not always be treated as a completely separate category when they perform functions already covered by existing technology regulations.
The European Commission will have stronger powers to supervise the three services and investigate whether they are following the additional DSA requirements.
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox now have four months following their designation to comply with the additional rules.
Companies that fail to follow the Digital Services Act can face serious consequences. For major violations, the EU can impose fines reaching up to 6% of a company’s worldwide annual turnover.
The decision expands the EU’s oversight of some of the world’s biggest online services and shows how quickly AI, social platforms and gaming services are becoming part of the same digital regulation debate.
For users, the changes are mainly designed to push large technology platforms toward stronger safety measures, clearer accountability and better management of risks created by their content, algorithms and online services.
