EU DSA: Why ChatGPT, Roblox and Reddit VLOP Status Remains One to Watch

The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) is drawing attention to the potential designation of major online platforms such as ChatGPT, Roblox, and Reddit as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). If designated as VLOPs, these services would face stricter obligations within four months. However, as of August 2026, the European Commission had not confirmed any of these designations publicly.

Evidence strongly suggests ChatGPT and Roblox may be designated, with Bloomberg Law reporting a potential designation decision for ChatGPT in August 2026 and noting Roblox's EU monthly users exceed the 45 million threshold for VLOP status. Reddit's eligibility remains under discussion, depending on the final assessment of its user figures and a potential designation from the Commission.

For businesses relying on these platforms for customer interactions, research, advertising, content discovery, or AI-assisted tasks, the immediate advice is to monitor regulatory updates rather than treat a reported VLOP candidacy as a settled fact. A VLOP designation may lead to changes in transparency practices, risk controls, and product processes, but the impact on individual business users is still uncertain.

Key points to note are that the designation is based on a threshold of 45 million average monthly active recipients in the EU, and once confirmed, platforms have four months to comply with the DSA's enhanced requirements, which include heightened risk assessments, transparency obligations, and data-access obligations. Businesses should differentiate between confirmed facts and speculation, monitor official Commission announcements and DSA records, and identify operational dependencies on these services to prepare for any potential changes.