ChatGPT Is Now Subject to the EU's Toughest Platform Rules
The European Commission has classified ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine, putting OpenAI under the same strict rules that govern the biggest social media platforms in Europe.
Key points
- The European Commission classified ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the EU's Digital Services Act in 2025.
- Reddit and Roblox were simultaneously classified as Very Large Online Platforms under the same law.
- All three services must comply with the new rules by the end of December 2026.
- The Digital Services Act bans targeted ads aimed at children and restricts ads based on religion, sexual orientation or political beliefs.
ChatGPT has just hit a regulatory milestone in Europe, and it's not the good kind for OpenAI.
The European Commission has officially classified ChatGPT as a "Very Large Online Search Engine" under the Digital Services Act, or DSA, the EU's rulebook for the biggest websites and apps operating in Europe. It sets firm requirements on how they handle user safety, data practices, and the content they surface.
What does this actually mean for ChatGPT users in Europe?
From the end of 2026, OpenAI must meet a higher standard of care for EU users: stronger protections for children, safeguards around user mental health, and tougher limits on illegal content. The DSA applies once a platform or search engine reaches 45 million average monthly users inside the EU, and ChatGPT has cleared that bar. The announcement, first reported by The Verge AI, puts OpenAI alongside Reddit and Roblox, which were designated as Very Large Online Platforms on the same day. All three companies must comply by the end of December 2026.
That timing matters. OpenAI launched a dedicated teen mode for ChatGPT on 18 August 2026, bundling safety features for 13-to-17-year-olds, as we reported at the time. The DSA designation now turns voluntary product choices into binding legal obligations.
What rules must these platforms follow?
The obligations cover several areas. Platforms can't target advertising at minors. They can't use a person's religion, sexual orientation or political beliefs to aim ads at them. They must also explain how their recommendation systems work, so users understand why they're seeing certain content.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, put it plainly: "These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society."
For a service that millions of teenagers use daily for homework and research, the child-safety angle carries real weight. It's worth watching how OpenAI restructures its ad policies specifically, given that it only began rolling out advertising inside ChatGPT to free users in India in August 2026, as our earlier story noted.
What happens if they don't comply?
Non-compliance can trigger fines of up to six percent of a company's global annual revenue. For a company OpenAI's size, that's a consequential number.
For everyday users in Europe, the practical upshot is more transparency and fewer ways for platforms to quietly exploit personal data for ad targeting. Parents get something more durable from the Roblox designation: binding rules, not voluntary pledges, about how the platform treats younger users.
Whether all three companies restructure quietly or push back with friction is the story to track from here.
Common questions
Does this affect ChatGPT users outside Europe?
No. The Digital Services Act applies only within the European Union. Users in the United States, the UK, and elsewhere aren't covered by these specific rules, though separate national regulations may apply.
What is a "Very Large" platform under EU law?
Any online service that reaches at least 45 million average monthly active users inside the EU qualifies for the designation, triggering the DSA's strictest tier of obligations.
