Subsequent reporting on September 4 clarified that the VLOSE designation the European Commission issued to ChatGPT in late August places it in the same regulatory tier as major search engines, a distinction from the VLOP classification assigned to Reddit and Roblox under the same action.
Following·since 31 Aug 2026·Day 5·4 sources·updated 5 Sep 2026
DSA designations for ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox
The gist
EU Designates ChatGPT as VLOSE, Reddit and Roblox as VLOPs Under DSA
The designations bring ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox under the DSA's strictest compliance tier, with the clock running on a four-month deadline. Fines for non-compliance reach up to 6% of global annual revenue.
The full picture
The European Commission designated OpenAI's ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the EU Digital Services Act, after each surpassed 45 million average monthly EU users. The VLOSE classification places ChatGPT in the same regulatory tier as major search engines. The VLOP and VLOSE tiers carry the DSA's heaviest obligations: platforms must remove illegal content, protect minors' privacy and security, conduct systemic-risk assessments covering illegal content, minors' wellbeing, fundamental rights, elections, and public security, submit to annual independent audits, share compliance data with regulators, and grant vetted researchers access to data for studying systemic risks. Designated platforms have four months to meet the stricter oversight demands. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to 6% of global annual revenue.
How it developed
Further coverage notes VLOSE classification treats ChatGPT comparably to major search engines for regulatory purposes
Additional reporting confirms ChatGPT crossed the 45 million monthly EU user threshold triggering designation
The European Commission on August 31 designated OpenAI's ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the EU Digital Services Act, placing all three under the law's most demanding tier after each surpassed 45 million average monthly EU users. The designations require the platforms to remove illegal content, protect minors, conduct systemic-risk assessments, submit to annual independent audits, and share data with regulators, with fines of up to 6% of global annual revenue for non-compliance. All three have four months to meet the stricter demands.
European Commission designates ChatGPT as VLOSE and Reddit and Roblox as VLOPs under the DSA
Sources
Rohan Paul Twitter
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