The European Commission designated ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox as major online services under the Digital Services Act.
The European Commission has officially designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act. This classification subjects the three services to the bloc's strictest online safety regime, requiring higher standards of accountability and scrutiny. The Commission concluded that ChatGPT functions as a search engine because it pulls live results from the internet to respond to user queries. Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, stated that these designations ensure the platforms are held to a higher standard due to their significant impact on society. The three services must now comply with a suite of obligations by the end of November, including annual systemic risk assessments and independent audits. Washington has expressed a critical view of the EU's enforcement drive. The administration announced that previous fines on Apple and Meta were a 'novel form of economic extortion,' and has threatened retaliation against countries with digital rules targeting US tech firms.