EU Targets ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox With Tougher Digital Platform Oversight
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have been classed as “Very Large Online Platforms” by the European Union under the DSA, which places harsher safety, transparency and accountability rules on them. The designation refers to platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU.
The European Union has placed ChatGPT, the first AI chatbot, on a list of digital services that will be subject to stricter safety regulations as a result of increased regulatory scrutiny. Reddit and Roblox were also classed as "very large" online platforms by Brussels, which carries with them additional responsibilities and scrutiny.
ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox will now face more monitoring and accountability in the European Union, according to EU technology director Henna Virkkunen. Their significant influence on the people and society of the European Union necessitates this action.
EU’s Version of Very Large Platforms
According to the commission, ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox have reported satisfying the criteria for being classified as "very large" platforms and search engines. The term "very large" is based on having more than 45 million monthly active users in the 27-nation bloc. The three parties have been given a four-month extension to meet the additional requirements set out under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
As content legislation, DSA is a powerful tool in the European Union's legal arsenal. In recent years, the EU has used DSA to control Big Tech. Among these, Brussels identified the following as systemic risks associated with their service and algorithmic systems: the spread of unlawful content; harm to children; users' physical and mental health; basic rights; electoral processes; and public safety. The commission certified ChatGPT as a search engine, bringing it under the regulatory wing of the DSA.
EU Putting a Large Scanner on Big Tech Firms
The predicted move would set a "precedent" and "influence the regulatory expectations for every large generative AI system used in the EU", according to Lena-Maria Boswald of the German digital think tank Interface, who spoke before the announcement. The AI Act already imposes risk-management duties on OpenAI, but the DSA has the potential to expand those duties.
Roblox, an online game creation and sharing platform, and Reddit, a widely used online forum, will also be subject to the increased scrutiny. The designations are being made in response to the EU's increased regulatory enforcement against the world's largest digital platforms, including numerous American entities, despite the strong opposition from the United States and vows of retaliation.
It recently threatened TikTok, one of about 30 other platforms on the list, with severe fines unless the platform altered what it saw as its addictive nature. For failing to meet its transparency rules and other infractions, Elon Musk's social media site X was fined 120 million euros ($138 million) last year. The 870 million euros in DSA fines levied by the Commission—550 million euros against AliExpress in July alone—show how the designation is put to the test in enforcement. What happens next year when the Commission applies these same regulations to a chatbot is one of the most pressing concerns.
