The European Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), placing the AI chatbot under the bloc’s strictest digital-service rules.
The designation, announced on Monday, August 31, 2026, makes ChatGPT the first generative AI chatbot to receive the classification. Reddit and Roblox were also designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs).
The EU’s designation follows ChatGPT’s reported monthly user numbers exceeding the DSA threshold of 45 million users in the European Union. Services above that threshold are subject to additional obligations because of their potential impact on users and society.
Under the tougher rules, OpenAI will face additional obligations to identify and address systemic risks associated with ChatGPT. These include risks involving the spread of illegal content, threats to fundamental rights, public safety, electoral processes and the protection of minors.
The rules also require designated services to carry out risk assessments, introduce measures to mitigate identified risks and provide greater transparency to regulators.
The European Commission said the three newly designated services will have four months to comply with the additional requirements.
The move comes as the EU continues to expand its regulatory framework for major technology companies. The DSA imposes its most extensive obligations on very large online platforms and search engines, which the Commission says can have significant societal and economic impact.
ChatGPT’s classification as a search engine is particularly significant because the chatbot can retrieve and present information from the internet in response to users’ questions. The designation does not mean that ChatGPT is being treated as a conventional search engine for all purposes; rather, it places the service within the DSA category that carries the highest level of regulatory oversight.
The new obligations come alongside the EU’s separate Artificial Intelligence Act, which became applicable in major respects on August 2, 2026. The AI Act establishes rules for the development and use of artificial intelligence, including transparency requirements for certain AI-generated content.
For OpenAI, the development represents a significant expansion of regulatory scrutiny in one of its largest international markets. The company will now have to demonstrate to EU authorities that it is taking appropriate measures to identify and mitigate systemic risks associated with the service.
The European Commission’s decision also signals that the EU’s digital regulations are increasingly being applied beyond traditional social media networks and search engines to emerging AI services.
As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into information, education, business and everyday communication, the European move could also influence how other governments approach the regulation of AI chatbots and their potential impact on society.
