ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox face tougher EU digital safety rules under DSA

ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox are now classified under the European Union's strictest digital safety laws by the European Commission. The transfer of the three services puts them under closer oversight through the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA).

ChatGPT has been identified as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE), and Reddit and Roblox have been recognised as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). All three services have reported over 45 million users per month in the EU, exceeding the threshold for maximum supervision under DSA regulations, the European Commission said.

ChatGPT classified as a search engine

It's a key moment for ChatGPT. The European Commission calls the AI service a ‘hybrid service’ because it can provide answers to a user's query and find information on the internet.

This would imply that ChatGPT's web-search feature makes it an online search engine under the DSA. Data made available to the Commission showed that ChatGPT had an average of approximately 159 million monthly active users (MAU) across the EU over the past six months.

EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen said the new designations would subject the services to heightened scrutiny and accountability due to their impact on European citizens and society.

Reddit and Roblox face new rules

Reddit and Roblox are also VLOPs because they enable users to publicly create and share third-party content.

Reddit reported around 57.2 million monthly users in the EU, while Roblox reported roughly 48 million, according to figures submitted to the European Commission. The new status obliges the companies to comply with certain requirements designed to minimise risks associated with their services.

Four-month deadline for compliance

The deadline to comply with the other DSA obligations is extended to the end of November, giving ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox four months to get it done.

The requirements involve periodic evaluations of systemic risks related to the presence of illegal content on the platform, child safety, users' physical and mental health, fundamental rights, electoral processes, and public security, among others, all carried out once a year. Services are also required to minimise these risks and have independent audits. They will have to submit appropriate data to regulators and approved researchers.

EU gains greater oversight

The DSA will be supervised by the European Commission. It will partner with Coimisiún na Meán of Ireland on ChatGPT and Reddit, as well as the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) on Roblox.

With the latest designations, the total number of platforms and search engines in the EU's most stringent category (DSA) now stands at 28. The new classification is important, especially for big tech firms doing business in Europe, as they could be slapped with fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover.