ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will face the European Union’s highest level of online-platform oversight after each service declared that it reaches at least 45 million monthly users across the bloc.
The European Commission confirmed on August 31 that the three services have been designated under the Digital Services Act, or DSA. They now have four months to meet additional requirements covering risk assessment, transparency, illegal content and user safety.
ChatGPT has been classified as a very large online search engine because of its ability to retrieve and present information from the web. Reddit and Roblox have been designated as very large online platforms because their users can publish or distribute content to the public.
The decision is significant for OpenAI because it places an artificial-intelligence assistant within the same European oversight system used for the largest search engines and social platforms.
User Numbers Trigger the Designation
The Digital Services Act sets 45 million average monthly users in the EU as the threshold for its “very large” category. The figure represents approximately 10% of the bloc’s population.
Companies covered by the law must publish updated information about their European user numbers at least once every six months. ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox crossed the threshold through their own disclosures, giving the Commission the basis to issue the formal designations.
Being placed in this category does not suggest that any of the three services has violated European law. Instead, the designation reflects their reach and the potential scale of harm if their systems are misused or fail to manage important risks.
All online services operating in the EU already have responsibilities under the DSA. The largest platforms and search engines face additional obligations because their algorithms, content systems and design decisions can affect millions of people at once.
The Commission can revoke a designation if a service remains below the 45-million-user threshold for an entire year. For now, however, all three companies must begin preparing for direct supervision by the EU executive.
ChatGPT Must Assess Search and AI Risks
The classification creates a new compliance challenge for ChatGPT in Europe.
Unlike a conventional search engine that mainly lists links, ChatGPT can combine information into a single generated response. Users may therefore rely on the assistant without visiting or examining the original sources.
Under the stricter DSA framework, OpenAI will be expected to identify and reduce systemic risks connected with the search function. These could include the distribution of illegal material, misleading results, threats to fundamental rights and harmful effects on users’ physical or mental wellbeing.
The company will also need to explain relevant aspects of its content moderation and recommendation systems. Regulators will be able to investigate the functions behind the service and request information needed to assess compliance.
The designation does not determine how OpenAI must answer individual questions, nor does it automatically make the company responsible for every incorrect response. It does, however, require a documented process for examining risks that can emerge when AI-generated information reaches users at scale.
The DSA requirements are separate from the European Union’s AI Act. ChatGPT can fall within both frameworks because the two laws address different areas. The AI Act focuses on the development and use of artificial-intelligence systems, while the DSA regulates the responsibilities of large online intermediaries, platforms and search services.
Meeting both sets of rules could increase compliance expenses for OpenAI. The company may need additional staff, reporting systems, independent assessments and technical controls designed specifically for European operations.
Reddit and Roblox Face Content-Safety Duties
Reddit and Roblox enter the stricter category through a different route.
Reddit hosts communities where users share posts, links, images and comments. Roblox operates a gaming and creation platform containing experiences and content developed by users and independent creators.
Both companies must assess how illegal or harmful material could spread through their services. They will also need to examine risks affecting children, freedom of expression, public security and the physical or mental wellbeing of users.
Protection of minors will be particularly important for Roblox because children and teenagers form a substantial part of its audience. The company may need to demonstrate how its age controls, communication tools, recommendation systems and reporting mechanisms limit potential harm.
Reddit will face similar scrutiny around content moderation and the way its systems recommend communities and posts. The platform must balance action against illegal content with protections for legitimate expression.
The rules also require greater clarity around advertising, platform terms, recommendation systems and moderation decisions. Large services can be required to provide qualified researchers with access to certain data so that systemic risks can be studied independently.
What Changes for Users
The designation may not produce an immediate visible change because the companies have four months to complete the additional compliance work.
Over time, European users could see clearer explanations for content decisions, stronger reporting procedures and more information about how recommendations are generated. Services may also introduce new safety controls or adjust existing functions for younger users.
For the companies, the larger change will happen behind the interface. They must document risks, create mitigation measures, cooperate with investigations and demonstrate that their safeguards work at the scale of their European audiences.
The EU platform rules can be enforced directly by the European Commission for services carrying the very large designation. Companies that fail to comply with the DSA can face penalties of up to 6% of their worldwide annual turnover.
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have grown large enough in Europe to move beyond the standard obligations applying to smaller online services. The next four months will determine how each company adapts its products, transparency systems and safety procedures to the EU’s most demanding tier of digital oversight.
Reference:
https://www.reuters.com/world/chatgpt-reddit-roblox-adhere-eus-very-large-platform-rules-2026-08-31/
