People using ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox in the European Union will be covered by the bloc's strongest digital safety rules after the European Commission placed all three services in the Digital Services Act's strictest tier.
ChatGPT, owned by OpenAI, has been designated a Very Large Online Search Engine. Reddit and Roblox, a user-generated content gaming platform, have been designated Very Large Online Platforms. The services have four months to comply, with a deadline at the end of November.
The Digital Services Act applies its highest level of oversight to online services reaching more than 45 million monthly users in the EU. ChatGPT reported approximately 159.1 million average monthly EU users. Reddit reported 57.2 million monthly active users in the EU, while Roblox reported roughly 48 million.
The Commission said this was the first time it had classified an artificial intelligence chatbot as a search engine. It described ChatGPT as a 'hybrid service' that qualifies as an online search engine under the DSA because it can engage with and respond to users' prompts and queries, including by searching the web.
The three designations bring the number of platforms and search engines in the DSA's strictest tier to 28. They join 25 other services already classified as Very Large Online Platforms or Very Large Online Search Engines. The act came into effect across the EU bloc in February and has already been applied to companies such as TikTok and Meta.
Under the rules, designated services must carry out annual systemic risk assessments. These must cover illegal content, the protection of minors, effects on users' mental and physical wellbeing, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public security.
They must also submit to independent audits and share data with regulators and vetted researchers. Companies that fail to comply risk fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.
Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said the designations meant ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox would be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union.
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