EU classifies ChatGPT as a very large online search engine under the DSA

What changed

The European Commission has designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the EU's Digital Services Act. Reddit and Roblox were designated Very Large Online Platforms in the same announcement. The three services join the DSA's highest-scrutiny tier, reserved for services with at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU. They have until the end of December 2026 to comply.

What the designation actually requires

The Very Large tier comes with specific obligations, not just a label:

• No ad targeting at minors

• No ad targeting based on a person's sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or political beliefs

• More transparency about how recommendation algorithms work

• Active mitigation of risks tied to minors, user mental health and the spread of illegal content

"These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society," said Henna Virkkunen, the EU's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.

What it does not say

The obvious read for anyone selling AI visibility is that a "search engine" label means new disclosure rules for how ChatGPT sources and ranks the answers it gives. The announcement does not say that. The transparency duty named here covers recommendation algorithms, the mechanism behind feeds and suggested content. The source does not state whether that duty extends to how ChatGPT selects or cites sources inside a chat answer.

Until the Commission or OpenAI says otherwise, treat the two as separate questions. This designation is confirmed to cover ad targeting, minor safety and algorithmic transparency in general. It is not a confirmed new rulebook for citation behaviour, whatever the label suggests.