Overview
- The European Commission on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 formally classified ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms after the services reported surpassing the 45 million monthly‑user DSA threshold.
- The designation requires annual systemic‑risk assessments, independent audits, vetted researcher access to platform data, transparency about recommendation systems and ads, and specific measures to protect minors and public security.
- The companies have four months to comply — effectively until the end of December 2026 — and face enforcement including fines up to 6% of global annual turnover for failures to meet DSA obligations.
- Regulators assigned national supervisors to lead compliance work: Ireland’s Coimisiún na Meán will oversee ChatGPT and Reddit while the Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets will lead for Roblox, with the Commission gaining stronger investigative powers.
- The ChatGPT VLOSE label is the first time a standalone AI chatbot entered the DSA’s search‑engine tier, creating a precedent that extends regulation beyond the AI Act to how large AI services behave and affect users, with likely effects on privacy, child safety, researcher access and companies’ compliance costs.