Observed Signal · Sep 17, 2026 · Regulation · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 5/5 · Sentiment: Negative
EU Classifies ChatGPT as Very Large Online Search Engine
The EU Commission has classified ChatGPT as a very large online search engine under the Digital Services Act, prompting Swiss media association VSM to call for copyright reform. VSM argues that AI chatbots increasingly provide generated answers instead of links to journalistic sources, with over 99% of users not clicking through to sources, thereby depriving publishers of traffic and ad revenue. VSM demands a technology-neutral copyright law that obliges AI providers to compensate journalistic work. The German media authority ZAK has also ruled that media law applies to AI search services, with decisions against Google and Perplexity. The Swiss parliament has referred a related proposal back to the Federal Council to examine AI's impact on search engines and platforms.
Major regulatory development: EU classifies ChatGPT as a very large online search engine, impacting AI platforms and publisher compensation, with high relevance to AdTech and media monetization.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The EU Commission classified ChatGPT as a very large online search engine under the Digital Services Act in late August.
- The Swiss media association VSM sees this as confirmation that the line between search engines and AI services is disappearing.
- VSM claims that over 99% of users do not click through to sources when using AI chatbots, compared to over 60% for traditional search engines.
- The German media authority ZAK ruled that media law applies to AI search services, with decisions against Google and Perplexity in July.
- The Swiss parliament has referred a proposal (Motion Gössi) back to the Federal Council to examine AI's impact on search engines and platforms.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“The German media authority ZAK issued decisions against Google and Perplexity regarding media law for AI search services.”
“The German media authority ZAK issued decisions against Perplexity regarding media law for AI search services.”
“The company behind ChatGPT, which has been classified as a very large online search engine by the EU.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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EU May Classify ChatGPT as Search Engine
A German analysis argues the EU could classify ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Article 76 of the DSA applies to platforms with more than 45 million active users in the EU; OpenAI says ChatGPT has about 120 million EU users, which would meet the threshold. A VLOSE designation would force OpenAI to disclose advertising practices, submit to independent audits, give researchers access to data, remove illegal content, and limit profiling-based recommendations. The article says such a ruling would be damaging for OpenAI’s business but could benefit European and more transparent AI challengers (e.g., Mistral), and could also affect other products like Microsoft Copilot and Anthropic’s Claude.
EU Classifies ChatGPT as Search Engine; Brands Need AI SEO/GEO Tools
On August 31, 2026, the European Commission formally designated ChatGPT a "Very Large Online Search Engine" under the Digital Services Act, placing it in the same regulatory category as Google and Bing. With over one billion weekly active users, ChatGPT's classification underscores the shift of product discovery toward AI-generated answers. Azoma, an Agentic Commerce Optimisation platform, released an analysis showing that each AI agent (ChatGPT, Gemini, Amazon Rufus, Walmart Sparky, etc.) cites different source mixes, meaning no single AI SEO or GEO strategy works everywhere. Brands are advised to adopt tools that offer prompt-level visibility tracking, citation-source analysis, competitive benchmarking, and optimization workflows for content and product data. Traditional SEO alone is insufficient because AI platforms produce synthesized recommendations before users visit brand sites. The EU decision legitimizes AI search, making AI SEO and GEO essential for brand visibility.
German media law applies to AI search and chatbots
The Commission for Supervision and Licensing of the State Media Authorities (ZAK) has issued its first rulings finding AI search engines and chatbots — including offerings from Google and Perplexity — are content providers subject to German media law. After commissioning a legal opinion and through proceedings led by Hamburg‑Schleswig Holstein (MA HSH) and Berlin‑Brandenburg (mabb), ZAK concluded AI‑generated answers constitute providers’ own content and therefore cannot benefit from the intermediary liability privilege under the EU Digital Services Act, meaning major services (including ChatGPT-style products) will face media‑law obligations and potential liability under German rules. The decisions require transparent disclosure of how links are selected and placed to preserve journalistic diversity and allow affected providers to seek legal remedies. Article published 2026-07-14.
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