{"slug": "chatgpt-faces-tougher-rules-under-eu-online-safety-regime", "title": "ChatGPT faces tougher rules under EU online safety regime", "summary": "The European Commission designated OpenAI's ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act on August 31, 2026, making it the first generative AI chatbot to face the EU's strictest online safety rules. OpenAI reported approximately 159.1 million average monthly EU users, far exceeding the 45 million threshold, and must comply by the end of December 2026 or face fines up to 6% of global annual turnover.", "body_md": "Photo: Merlin Lightpainting / Pexels\n\n# ChatGPT faces tougher rules under EU online safety regime\n\nThe European Commission designated OpenAI's chatbot as a 'very large online search engine,' a first-of-its-kind classification that subjects it to the bloc's strictest digital safety obligations\n\nThe European Commission just put ChatGPT in the same regulatory weight class as Google. On August 31, 2026, the Commission designated OpenAI’s flagship product as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act, making it the first generative AI chatbot to receive that classification.\n\nThe designation means ChatGPT will face the EU’s most demanding set of online safety rules, the same kind of oversight previously reserved for big search engines and social media platforms. OpenAI now has until the end of December 2026 to comply.\n\n## Why ChatGPT got the label\n\nThe DSA’s threshold for triggering elevated oversight is 45 million average monthly active users in the EU. ChatGPT blew past that number.\n\nOpenAI reported approximately 159.1 million average monthly EU users for the six-month period ending March 31, 2026. That figure represents a sharp jump from earlier self-reported numbers of around 120.4 million in early 2026, a roughly 32% increase in a matter of months.\n\nWhat makes this classification novel is the “hybrid service” framing. ChatGPT doesn’t look like a traditional search engine. It doesn’t serve up a list of blue links. But because it can respond to user prompts and perform live web searches, the Commission decided it functions enough like one to warrant the VLOSE tag.\n\nChatGPT wasn’t alone in getting flagged. Reddit and Roblox were both classified as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) on the same day, with roughly 57.2 million and 48 million EU users respectively. But ChatGPT’s VLOSE designation is the one that breaks new ground.\n\n## What the rules actually require\n\nBeing labeled a VLOSE or VLOP under the DSA is not a gentle nudge. It is the most stringent tier of obligations the law imposes.\n\nDesignated platforms must conduct annual systemic risk assessments, essentially stress-testing how their services might amplify illegal content, harm elections, affect mental health, or enable the spread of disinformation. These aren’t internal exercises. They require independent audits by third parties.\n\nThe Commission also gains the authority to directly investigate compliance, bypassing member-state regulators when it sees fit.\n\nThe compliance deadline is four months from designation, meaning OpenAI has until the end of December 2026 to get its house in order.\n\nThose teeth are financial. Non-compliance with DSA regulations can trigger fines of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover.\n\nEU tech chief Henna Virkkunen framed the move as necessary accountability. She emphasized that these services will face heightened scrutiny because of their substantial impact on users and society at large.\n\n## The broader context\n\nThe DSA was fully implemented in 2024 as a comprehensive regulatory framework designed to manage online platforms operating within the EU. It was originally conceived with social media giants and marketplaces in mind, platforms like Meta, Amazon, and TikTok that had already been designated as VLOPs in earlier rounds.\n\nOpenAI is already navigating a separate layer of EU regulation through the AI Act, which imposes its own set of requirements on general-purpose AI models. The VLOSE designation adds a parallel compliance track focused less on the model itself and more on how the product interacts with hundreds of millions of users.\n\n**Disclosure:** This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our\n\n[Editorial Policy](https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/chatgpt-faces-tougher-rules-under-eu-online-safety-regime", "canonical_source": "https://cryptobriefing.com/chatgpt-eu-digital-services-act-vlose/", "published_at": "2026-08-31 12:49:15+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-31 12:54:54.692697+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-products"], "entities": ["European Commission", "OpenAI", "ChatGPT", "Digital Services Act", "Reddit", "Roblox", "Henna Virkkunen"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/chatgpt-faces-tougher-rules-under-eu-online-safety-regime", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/chatgpt-faces-tougher-rules-under-eu-online-safety-regime.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/chatgpt-faces-tougher-rules-under-eu-online-safety-regime.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/chatgpt-faces-tougher-rules-under-eu-online-safety-regime.jsonld"}}