The European Union has imposed the strictest digital rules for ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox

The European Union has imposed the strictest digital rules on ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox. The European Commission has classified ChatGPT as a very large online search engine and Reddit and Roblox as very large online platforms. This means they will be subject to the strictest control regime under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), Euronews reports.

The decision is particularly significant for ChatGPT. The European Commission has concluded that an artificial intelligence chatbot that searches the internet in real time and answers users' questions also acts as a search engine for regulatory purposes. The report says that "ChatGPT thus becomes the first artificial intelligence chatbot to receive such a status under the DSA."

Reddit and Roblox are designated as very large online platforms because they allow users to create content and distribute it publicly.

Under the DSA, services with at least 45 million monthly users in the EU are considered very large platforms or search engines. This is equivalent to about 10% of the EU population. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT’s search function was used by an average of 159 million people per month in the EU in the six months ending in March 2026. Reddit has an audience of 57.2 million, while Roblox has about 48 million.

Companies have until the end of November 2026 to comply with the new requirements. They must annually assess the systemic risks posed by their services and algorithms and take measures to mitigate them. This includes the spread of illegal content, the protection of minors, the impact on the mental and physical health of users, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public safety.

ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox are also required to undergo independent audits and provide the necessary information to regulators and researchers who have passed the audit. ChatGPT and Reddit are supervised by the Irish Digital Services Coordinator, Coimisiun na Mean, and Roblox by the Dutch Consumer and Markets Authority, together with the European Commission.

The new decision brings the number of major platforms and search engines subject to the strictest requirements of the DSA to 28. The EU has imposed a total of almost €870 million in fines on technology companies under this law. In particular, in July 2026, AliExpress was fined €550 million for failing to sufficiently curb the sale of illegal and counterfeit goods, and in May, Temu was fined €200 million for similar violations. Platform X was fined €120 million in December 2025 for violating content moderation and transparency requirements. Companies that fail to comply with the law could face fines of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover.

In December 2025, the European Commission fined social network X €120 million for violating the Digital Services Act. The Commission noted that X’s “blue tick” design was misleading to users, that its ad library was not sufficiently transparent, and that it did not provide researchers with the necessary information. Two days later, X restricted the European Commission’s ability to place ads on the platform. Elon Musk criticized the EU decision and called for the “dissolution” of the union.

The US administration has also repeatedly criticized the digital regulatory policies of European countries towards American technology companies. In June 2026, Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on countries that impose digital taxes on American companies.