Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Reuters that a designation is ‘definitely possible’.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the controversial video game Roblox could become subject to the most stringent rules under the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA).
The bloc brands online services with more than 45m EU-based users as very large online platforms (VLOPs) or very large online search engines (VLOSEs).
These designations trigger specific rules that aim to tackle the unique risks that large platforms might pose to the safety of its European users, including around illegal content, ad transparency, health and safety.
Rules include creating user-friendly terms and conditions, establishing a point of contact for authorities and users, and the reporting of criminal offences. VLOPs and VLOSEs must also identify and assess systemic risks that could be linked to their services.
Designated platforms that don’t comply with these rules can face penalties of up to 6pc of their global annual turnover.
21 companies operating various platforms in the bloc, including X, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, LinkedIn and TikTok, are already subject to these regulations following the DSA’s enforcement in early 2024.
Since then, the European Commission has launched numerous probes, resulting in penalties to date on X, Temu, and AliExpress – collectively amounting to nearly €900m.
Bloomberg reported that the two new additions to the designated list will be confirmed as soon as August. Sources told the publication that ChatGPT’s search function will be handed the VLOSE designation and Roblox that of VLOP.
The platforms will have four months from the date of designation to ensure compliance with the law.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Reuters that such designations are “definitely possible” and could “come sooner or later”. ChatGPT crossed 120m monthly users in Europe last year.
Earlier this month, the EU preliminarily found TikTok to have breached the DSA by allowing content posted by minors to be pushed globally, risking their exposure to unwanted contact and cyberbullying.
The Commission also used its powers to order Meta to open WhatsApp up to rival AI assistants to ensure fair competition.
The DSA and the bloc’s other landmark legislation, the Digital Markets Act, have elicited criticism from US, which has called penalties under the laws a “novel form of economic extortion”.
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Updated, 3.02pm, 30 July 2026: The article has been updated with comments from an EU spokesperson and additional information in the eighth paragraph.
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