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Monday, August 31, 2026

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Brussels · Monday, August 31, 2026

EU designates ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the DSA

The File desk · Aug 31, 2026, 9:45 PM UTC

Status

Confirmed.

On Aug. 31, 2026, in Brussels, the European Commission designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the

, after the services declared they reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU. They have four months, until January 2027, to meet extra VLOP/VLOSE duties, including systemic-risk assessment. The Commission classed ChatGPT as a search engine under the .

The European Commission said on Monday that it had designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the

. “Today, the Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE), as well as Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), under the (),” the Commission’s digital-strategy notice stated.

The services had declared that they reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU, the threshold for designation. After notification, they have four months — until January 2027, in the Commission’s English text — to meet the extra VLOP and VLOSE duties, including assessment and mitigation of systemic risks.

The Commission’s press release (IP/26/1772) said ChatGPT “is a hybrid service that qualifies as an online search engine under the

,” because it can engage with user prompts “including by searching the web.”

What is still unknown or disputed

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Commission designates ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox under Digital Services Act

    European Commission · August 31, 2026

    “Today, the Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE), as well as Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), under the ().” These services declared that they reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU and thus meet the threshold for designation.

    https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-designates-chatgpt-reddit-roblox-under-digital-services-act

  2. Source 2

    Commission designates ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox under Digital Services Act (IP/26/1772)

    European Commission · August 31, 2026

    ChatGPT is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that can engage with and respond to users' prompts and queries, including by searching the web. Hence, ChatGPT is a hybrid service that qualifies as an online search engine under the . Following the notification of the designations, these services have four months, i.e. by January 2027, to comply with the additional obligations for VLOPs and VLOSEs.

    https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_26_1772/IP_26_1772_EN.pdf