The European Commission has activated intensified regulatory oversight of ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox under the Digital Services Act (DSA), forcing all three platforms to comply with some of the toughest content governance rules on the planet by the end of 2026. For Italy-based users who rely on these services—whether for work, gaming, or community discussion—the changes will bring more transparency, tighter content moderation, and enforceable protections, but also potential restrictions on algorithmic personalization.
Why This Matters
• ChatGPT is now classified as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE)—the first AI-based service to face this level of regulatory scrutiny in the EU.
• Reddit and Roblox join 26 other platforms designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), putting them under the same compliance regime as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
• Non-compliance can trigger fines up to 6% of global annual revenue, or in extreme cases, temporary suspension of service within the EU.
• Users in Italy will gain the right to opt out of algorithmic profiling and access at least one non-personalized content feed (such as chronological ordering).
What Triggered the Designation
The threshold is clear: any platform or search engine that registers 45 M or more monthly active users in the EU automatically qualifies as "very large" under DSA rules. In August 2026, all three companies disclosed user counts that exceeded this limit, triggering formal designation by the Commission.
ChatGPT's classification as a search engine—rather than merely a chatbot—reflects its hybrid functionality. The service not only generates text based on user prompts but also pulls real-time information from the web, positioning it as both a conversational AI and a discovery tool. This dual role makes it the first generative AI platform to fall under VLOSE obligations, a regulatory milestone that could set a precedent for other AI services.
Reddit, a community-driven discussion platform with thousands of topic-specific forums, and Roblox, an immersive gaming and content-creation environment popular with younger users, were both classified as VLOPs due to their scale and reach across member states, including Italy.
Compliance Deadline and What It Means
From the date of notification in late August, all three platforms have four months to implement the DSA's enhanced obligations, putting the compliance deadline at the end of December 2026, depending on administrative schedules. That window is non-negotiable.
The European Commission, working with national Digital Services Coordinators—Coimisiún na Meán in Ireland for ChatGPT and Reddit, and the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) for Roblox—will conduct direct supervision. Italy's own national coordinator will participate in cross-border enforcement actions and can escalate local complaints.
The New Rulebook: What These Platforms Must Do
The obligations under the DSA for VLOPs and VLOSEs are far more demanding than baseline rules for smaller platforms. Here's what ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox must implement:
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Each platform must conduct annual systemic risk evaluations covering illegal content dissemination, harm to minors, mental and physical health impacts, threats to fundamental rights, electoral manipulation, and public safety risks. These assessments must be documented, actionable, and auditable. If a risk is identified—say, the spread of coordinated disinformation during an Italian election—the platform is obligated to take concrete steps to mitigate it, such as adjusting recommendation algorithms or increasing human moderation.
Algorithmic Transparency
One of the most user-facing changes: platforms must offer at least one content recommendation option that does not rely on profiling. For Reddit, this could mean a purely chronological feed. For Roblox, it might involve surfacing games based solely on popularity or recency, not personalized behavior tracking. ChatGPT, as a search engine, will need to clarify how it prioritizes and surfaces information in response to queries.
Platforms must also publish explanations of the parameters driving their recommendation systems—what factors determine which posts, games, or answers you see first.
Independent Audits
All three services will undergo annual external audits by independent organizations, with results shared with regulators. These audits assess whether risk mitigation measures are working and whether the platform is meeting its transparency and content moderation commitments. Auditors can issue recommendations, and platforms are expected to respond publicly.
Data Sharing with Regulators and Researchers
The DSA grants the Commission investigative powers to request internal data, algorithmic parameters, and user metrics. Platforms must also provide qualified researchers with access to datasets necessary for studying systemic risks—such as how misinformation spreads or how minors are exposed to harmful content.
Content Moderation and User Rights
Users must be able to report illegal content through clear, accessible mechanisms. Reports from "trusted flaggers"—NGOs, government bodies, or certified organizations—receive priority review. When content is removed or restricted, platforms must provide specific, individualized reasoning and offer users a right of appeal.
For Roblox, which operates a user-generated content marketplace, there are additional requirements: sellers must provide verified identity information, and buyers must be able to easily identify who is responsible for a transaction.
Advertising Restrictions
Platforms are banned from serving targeted ads to minors based on sensitive personal data. This is particularly relevant for Roblox, where a significant portion of the user base is under 18. Reddit and ChatGPT must also ensure ad transparency, disclosing who paid for an ad and the targeting criteria used.
What This Means for Italian Residents
If you live in Italy and use any of these platforms, the practical effects will be visible within months:
• More control over your feed: You'll have the explicit option to disable personalized recommendations and switch to a neutral, non-profiled view.
• Clearer content decisions: If a post is removed or a game is flagged on Roblox, you'll receive specific reasons and a path to contest the decision.
• Safer spaces for minors: Enhanced protections and transparency around content aimed at or accessible to children, with stricter ad rules.
• Accountability for harm: Platforms will be legally required to identify and reduce risks—from election interference to mental health impacts—before they escalate.
For professionals using ChatGPT in Italy, the VLOSE classification means the service will have to explain how it ranks and retrieves information, a crucial factor for anyone relying on it for research, legal work, or business intelligence.
The Enforcement Hammer: Penalties for Non-Compliance
The DSA is not a suggestion—it's enforceable law with serious financial teeth. The Commission can impose fines up to 6% of a company's global annual revenue for substantive violations. For context, that could mean hundreds of millions of euros for a company the size of OpenAI or Reddit.
Additional penalties include:
• Periodic fines of up to 5% of average daily worldwide turnover for each day a platform delays compliance.
• Fines of 1% of annual revenue for providing false or incomplete information to regulators.
• Temporary suspension of service in the EU as a last resort, if violations involve serious criminal conduct that threatens life or safety.
The Commission has already shown willingness to investigate. Formal probes into compliance are underway for several major platforms, and ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox will face the same scrutiny.
How the Platforms Are Responding
Reddit issued a statement committing to compliance, noting that the company is "preparing to meet VLOP requirements and looks forward to coordinating with EU regulators and providing transparency to Reddit users."
OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, confirmed the designation and user figures but has not yet detailed specific compliance measures. The hybrid classification as a search engine is novel, and the company will need to adapt its transparency and risk assessment frameworks accordingly.
Roblox has not released a detailed public response, though as a VLOP it faces the full suite of obligations, particularly around user-generated content, marketplace transparency, and child safety.
All three companies are expected to appoint internal compliance officers and establish dedicated teams to coordinate with EU and national regulators.
Broader Context: Italy in the DSA Era
With these three additions, the total number of platforms and search engines designated as "very large" under the DSA now stands at 29. The list includes household names like Google, Meta's services, Amazon, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Pornhub.
For Italian users, this regulatory environment represents a significant shift in how digital services operate. The DSA empowers both Brussels and national authorities—including Italy's Digital Services Coordinator—to enforce transparency, protect fundamental rights, and hold platforms accountable for systemic harms. It's a model that prioritizes user agency and corporate responsibility over unchecked growth and algorithmic opacity.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, emphasized that the designations ensure "higher standards of oversight and accountability," reflecting the "significant impact these platforms have on European citizens and society."
What Happens Next
Between now and the end of 2026, expect a flurry of policy updates, user notifications, and interface changes across ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox. Watch for new settings related to content recommendations, clearer moderation policies, and transparency reports detailing risk assessments and audit findings.
For residents of Italy, the message is straightforward: the platforms you use daily are now under some of the strictest digital governance rules in the world, and you have new rights to exercise. Whether that translates into a safer, more transparent online experience will depend on how seriously these companies take their obligations—and how rigorously the Commission enforces them.
