BRUSSELS, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission on Monday designated ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox as very large online services under the Digital Services Act (DSA), putting the three services under additional regulatory requirements.
The Commission designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE), and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). The three services reported that they each reach at least 45 million average monthly users in the European Union (EU), meeting the threshold for such designation, according to the Commission.
The three services will have four months, until the end of November, to comply with additional obligations under the DSA, including assessing and mitigating systemic risks related to illegal content, negative effects on minors, users' physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, electoral processes and public security.
The designations also give the Commission investigative powers to assess the functionalities behind the services and related systems.
The Commission said ChatGPT qualifies as an online search engine because it can respond to users' prompts and queries, including by searching the web. Reddit and Roblox qualify as online platforms because they enable users to disseminate third-party content to the public.
The Commission has now designated a total of 28 very large online platforms and search engines under the DSA. ■