OpenAI’s ChatGPT search feature, which allows the chatbot to access up-to-date web information, is rapidly gaining traction in Europe. According to a report by OpenAI Ireland Limited, ChatGPT search averaged 41.3 million monthly active “recipients” in the six months ending March 31, 2025, up from 11.2 million in the previous six-month period ending October 31, 2024.
The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) requires OpenAI to publish this data, defining monthly active recipients as individuals engaging with the service at least once within a given timeframe. This growth puts ChatGPT search on track to potentially be classified as a “very large” online platform, subjecting it to stricter regulations under the DSA.
If ChatGPT search continues its current growth trend, it may soon be required to allow users to opt out of recommendation systems and profiling, share data with researchers and authorities, and undergo external auditing. Non-compliance with the DSA’s rules could result in fines of up to 6% of OpenAI’s global turnover, with repeated offenses potentially leading to a temporary suspension in the EU.
ChatGPT search has been making inroads against established search engines like Google since its debut last year. A September poll found 8% of respondents preferred ChatGPT over Google as their primary search engine. However, Google remains the dominant online search tool, handling an estimated 373 times more searches than ChatGPT.
Please stop saying “please” to ChatGPT
Researchers have raised concerns about the reliability of ChatGPT search and other AI-powered search engines. Studies have shown that ChatGPT incorrectly identified 67% of searched-for articles and struggled with accuracy when handling news content, including content from publishers with which OpenAI has licensing agreements.
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