The European Commission today announced that the rules of the Digital Services Regulation will cover ChatGPT, which will have to fulfil additional obligations to assess and mitigate systemic risks associated with its service and algorithmic systems.
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31/08/2026
by
Lusa
“Hoje, the Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine, as well as Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Regulation. These services stated that they reach on average at least 45 million monthly users in the EU and therefore meet the threshold necessary for this designation,” explains the institution in a press release today.
Thus, the three services – ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence system that can also conduct research on the Internet, Reddit, a discussion platform organized by thematic communities, and Roblox, a gaming platform and content creation – will have four months, by the end of November, to fulfill the additional obligations foreseen, including “the assessment and mitigation of systemic risks associated with its algorithmic services and systems”.
Among the risks to be assessed are the dissemination of illegal content, the negative effects on minors, the physical and mental well-being of users, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public safety, Brussels.
According to the community executive, ChatGPT “is an Artificial Intelligence system that can interact with users and respond to their requests and questions, including through internet search,” thus being a “hybrid service” that qualifies as an online search engine under the new digital rules.
The new classification gives the European Commission research powers to assess the functionalities of the service and, where applicable, related systems, and Brussels to directly supervise compliance with the new obligations.
Reddit and Roblox were also covered by the new designations for allowing users to disclose third-party content to the public.
The European Commission points out that with these new designations there are already 28 ‘online’ platforms and very large research engines covered by the regulation.
The Digital Services Regulation lays down rules for digital platforms and services operating in the European Union, with enhanced requirements for very large services, including transparency, content moderation and risk management.
The European Commission and the Member States' Digital Services Coordinators share responsibility for the supervision and enforcement of the Regulation.