THE European Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine, mandating adherence to the Digital Services Act (DSA) requirements due to its user base of 159.1 million monthly active users in the EU. This classification also applies to platforms like Roblox and Reddit, but ChatGPT's unique role as a search engine entails stricter regulatory scrutiny.
Affected companies must complete comprehensive risk assessments within four months, focusing on preventing illegal content dissemination, protecting minors, and safeguarding user rights. Compliance will require enhanced transparency and auditing of algorithms, placing significant operational pressures on OpenAI to manage content and prevent potential harm to users.