EU Puts ChatGPT Under Tougher Digital Scrutiny

Reddit and Roblox also designated as ‘very large’ platforms

The European Union has placed ChatGPT under tougher regulatory scrutiny, making it the first AI chatbot to receive the bloc’s “very large” online platform designation.

The European Commission also classified Reddit and gaming platform Roblox under the same category, subjecting all three services to additional obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said the designation would require the platforms to meet higher standards of accountability because of their significant impact on European users 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 exceeding the threshold.

The three platforms have four months to meet the additional DSA requirements, including assessing and reducing risks linked to illegal content, minors, users’ wellbeing, fundamental rights, elections and public security.

To bring ChatGPT under the DSA framework, the European Commission classified it as a search engine.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT reported more than 159 million EU users at the end of March, while Roblox reported 46.6 million active players and Reddit more than 57 million users in the bloc.

ChatGPT said it was preparing to meet the new compliance requirements, while Roblox welcomed its designation as the first gaming platform to receive the EU’s “very large” label.