The European Union has classified ChatGPT as a very large search engine under the Digital Services Act, marking the first time the chatbot has been subjected to stricter oversight. This decision follows an announcement made by the EU Commission in Brussels, placing the service under new regulatory requirements. OpenAI's chatbot, which can search the web and answer user queries, now faces increased scrutiny due to its substantial user base in the EU, which exceeds 45 million monthly users.
The EU Commission has also reclassified Reddit and Roblox as very large online platforms, as both services allow users to share content from other users. The three services—ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox—now have four months to meet new obligations, including assessing risks to users such as illegal content, dangers to minors, or election interference. The Commission has expanded its audit powers, collaborating with authorities in Ireland and the Netherlands to enforce these rules. Henna Virkkunen, vice president of the EU Commission, stated that the services must submit to stricter oversight, with 28 platforms and search engines now classified under the DSA.
The classification primarily grants the EU Commission audit rights over ChatGPT's operations and risks. Requirements include maintaining a publicly viewable ad archive, providing data access for approved researchers, and submitting semiannual transparency reports. Legal experts are divided on whether data access must also cover training data or model weights to evaluate systemic risks. Natali Helberger, a law professor at the University of Amsterdam, noted that the access obligation under Article 40 could potentially include such data if necessary to identify systemic risks or assess mitigation measures. The classification does not explicitly allow the Commission to test the models directly.
Source: thedecoder
