Parents whose child plays Roblox, or a student who consults ChatGPT daily — both will soon find themselves under the protection of the same law. The European Commission plans to officially add ChatGPT and Roblox to the list of "very large online platforms" (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) as early as August — a status that previously applied mainly to social networks and search engines like Facebook or Google.
The reason is purely arithmetical. OpenAI reported that ChatGPT's search function has an average of 120.4 million active users per month in the EU — nearly three times higher than the 45 million threshold set by law. Roblox declared approximately 48 million monthly users in the EU, just crossing the line. For Roblox, this is particularly sensitive: a significant portion of this audience consists of children.
What will change for companies — and for users
VLOP status is not a formality. Companies will have four months after an official decision to comply with requirements: disclose the principles behind recommendation algorithms, content moderation and advertising, appoint responsible parties for contact with users and regulators, report detected crimes. Additionally — mandatory independent audits, regular risk assessments (disinformation, discrimination, election interference) and access to internal data for accredited researchers and the European Commission itself.
For the average user, this means that the algorithm showing recommended content to a child in Roblox, or the logic by which ChatGPT moderates responses, will no longer be the company's internal affair — external auditors and researchers will be able to verify them.
Why now
The heightened scrutiny is not coincidental. Roblox has been criticized for years for insufficient protection of minors from malicious actors in a game popular among children and adolescents. OpenAI, for its part, has faced lawsuits over user safety and accusations that the company failed to adequately inform law enforcement about potential threats. VLOP status gives the EU a legal lever to pressure both companies systematically, rather than through individual scandals.
The price of non-compliance is real: under the DSA, fines for systemic violations can reach a percentage of a company's global annual revenue, not just EU earnings. For OpenAI and Roblox, which are actively expanding their presence in Europe, this creates an incentive to comply with requirements on time rather than litigate with Brussels.
The question that remains open: whether the disclosure of algorithms will become a real tool for protecting children on Roblox and ChatGPT users, or turn into paperwork for auditors — this will become clear within the first months after the official assignment of status.
