ChatGPT Faces Potential Tightened Regulation Under EU's Digital Services Act

The European Commission is evaluating whether OpenAI's ChatGPT platform qualifies as a large online platform under the Digital Services Act. With reported user numbers exceeding 45 million, the platform may face stricter regulations if deemed applicable. The decision is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The European Commission announced its ongoing analysis of whether OpenAI's ChatGPT should be classified as a large online platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The assessment follows recent reports indicating that the platform's user numbers surpass the 45 million threshold set by the DSA.

Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier emphasized that while Large Language Models like ChatGPT could potentially fall under the DSA's scope, each case requires detailed analysis. A report from German newspaper Handelsblatt suggested ChatGPT might be subject to tighter regulation, reflecting the European Union's commitment to digital accountability.

OpenAI disclosed that ChatGPT averaged 120.4 million monthly active European Union users over a recent six-month period. The company provided these figures to meet existing transparency obligations, underscoring the platform's significant user engagement within the EU.