ChatGPT and Reddit now face EU's toughest online safety

What happened

OpenAI’s ChatGPT will have to comply with tougher EU rules such as removing illegal content or face potential fines, the European Commission said on Monday, as Brussels grapples with how its existing digital regulation applies to rapidly evolving AI services.

They now have until the end of December to comply with the additional obligations. A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company was preparing to meet the additional compliance requirements. ” Reddit did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The EU is also starting to enforce its AI Act, the world’s first regime regulating the development of the fast-developing technology.

Why it matters

The Commission said the chatbot, social media forum Reddit, and gaming platform Roblox would be classified as so-called very large online platforms under the EU Digital Services Act, its landmark online safety regime.

The designation means all three services will face additional obligations such as removing illegal content and protecting the privacy and security of minors and could face fines of up to 6 percent of their global revenue if they fail to comply. The decision marks a further expansion of the DSA into generative AI, with X’s AI chatbot Grok already facing an investigation under the law.

“ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society,” said the EU’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen. The move comes after all three services surpassed 45 million monthly users in the EU, the threshold for enhanced scrutiny under the DSA.

What to watch

Under its competition rule book, the bloc has also started an investigation into AI services, including whether Google breached EU competition rules in its use of AI overviews. The expansion of the DSA comes as Brussels faces pressure from Washington over its regulation of US tech companies, including over fines under the law against companies such as Elon Musk’s X.

Washington claims the EU is unfairly targeting US groups and infringing freedom of speech principles championed by the MAGA movement. However, the Commission insists its digital laws apply to companies regardless of where they are based. In July, Chinese online marketplace AliExpress was fined €550 million under the DSA for failing to do enough to prevent the sale of illegal products on its platform.