ChatGPT has been brought under stricter European Union digital regulations after the bloc designated the AI chatbot as a “very large” online service, making it the first AI chatbot to face enhanced scrutiny under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The European Commission also classified Reddit and gaming platform Roblox as “very large” online platforms, subjecting all three services to additional regulatory obligations.

“ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union,” EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said, citing their significant impact on citizens and society.

The designation applies to platforms and search engines with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU. ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have all reported user numbers above that threshold, according to the European Commission.

The three platforms have four months to comply with the additional requirements under the DSA, which requires large online services to identify and mitigate risks linked to illegal content, harm to minors, users’ physical and mental wellbeing, fundamental rights, elections and public security.

The commission classified ChatGPT as a search engine to bring it within the DSA’s regulatory framework.

ChatGPT reports 159m EU users

OpenAI’s ChatGPT had more than 159 million users in the EU at the end of March, equivalent to more than a third of the bloc’s population.

The company said it was “preparing to meet the additional compliance requirements” arising from the designation.

Roblox, which is particularly popular among children, reported 46.6 million active users in the EU, putting it just above the threshold.

“We are proud to be the first gaming platform” to receive the designation in the EU, said Joost Hagesteijn, Roblox’s general manager for Europe.

Reddit has more than 57 million users across the bloc.

Tougher scrutiny of Big Tech

The move comes as the EU intensifies enforcement of its digital regulations, often putting it at odds with major US technology companies and the US government.

The bloc has separately introduced the AI Act, described as the world’s most comprehensive legislation governing artificial intelligence. The law entered into force in 2024, with different requirements taking effect over several years.

Lena-Maria Boswald of German technology think tank Interface said the ChatGPT designation could set a “precedent” for how large generative AI systems are regulated in Europe.

While OpenAI already faces risk-management requirements under the AI Act, the DSA could expand the scope of its obligations, she said.

Around 30 online services are currently designated for enhanced scrutiny under the DSA, including platforms operated by Google, Apple, Microsoft, TikTok, X, Amazon and Shein. The list also includes Wikipedia and several pornography websites.

Companies that violate the DSA can face fines of up to 6% of their annual global turnover. Serious and repeated breaches can also lead to a ban on operating in the EU.

So far, the bloc has fined three companies under the law — Temu, AliExpress and Elon Musk’s X. X was fined €120 million ($138 million) for transparency and other violations.