The morning read on Europe's digital policy Monday 5 October 2026
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DSA list of very large online platforms and search engines (VLOPs)

As of October 2026, the European Commission has designated 28 services under the Digital Services Act (DSA): 25 very large online platforms (VLOPs) and 3 very large online search engines (VLOSEs). The latest additions, designated on 31 August 2026, are ChatGPT as a search engine and Reddit and Roblox as platforms. One service, Stripchat, has been removed from the list.

A service is designated when it reports at least 45 million average monthly active recipients in the EU, about 10% of the population. The figures below are those reported by the providers and published on the Commission's official supervision page, last updated on 31 August 2026.

Very large online search engines (VLOSEs)

  • Google Search (Google Ireland): 364 million users, designated 25 April 2023.
  • Bing (Microsoft Ireland Operations): 119 million, designated 25 April 2023.
  • ChatGPT (OpenAI Ireland): 159.1 million, designated 31 August 2026. The Commission describes it as a hybrid AI service that counts as a search engine under the DSA because it can search the web to answer prompts.

Very large online platforms (VLOPs)

Marketplaces, app stores and travel

  • Amazon Store: 181.3 million, designated 25 April 2023.
  • AliExpress: 104.3 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Google Play: 284.6 million, 25 April 2023.
  • App Store (Apple): 123 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Google Shopping: 70.8 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Zalando: 74.5 million monthly average in retail, 25 April 2023.
  • Booking.com: above 45 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Shein: 108 million, 26 April 2024.
  • Temu: 75 million, 31 May 2024.

Social networks, video and messaging

  • YouTube: 416.6 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Facebook: 259 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Instagram: 259 million, 25 April 2023.
  • TikTok: 135.9 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Pinterest: 124 million, 25 April 2023.
  • X: 115.1 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Snapchat: 102 million, 25 April 2023.
  • LinkedIn: 45.2 million logged-in users and 132.5 million logged-out visits, 25 April 2023.
  • Reddit: 57.2 million, 31 August 2026.
  • WhatsApp: 51.7 million, 26 January 2026. The designation covers the Channels feature; private messaging stays outside the DSA's platform rules.

Maps, knowledge and gaming

  • Google Maps: 275.6 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Wikipedia: 151.1 million, 25 April 2023.
  • Roblox: 46.6 million, 31 August 2026.

Adult content platforms

  • XVideos: 160 million, 20 December 2023.
  • Pornhub: above 45 million, 20 December 2023.
  • XNXX: 45 million, 10 July 2024.

Removed from the list

On 27 May 2025 the Commission ended the designation of Stripchat, whose user numbers had fallen below the threshold. The extra VLOP obligations stopped applying four months later, but the Commission continued its investigation into child protection on the site and sent preliminary findings to Stripchat, Pornhub, XNXX and XVideos on 26 March 2026.

How a service gets on and off the list

Every online platform and search engine operating in the EU must publish its average number of monthly active recipients in the EU at least once every six months. When a service reports 45 million or more, the Commission adopts a designation decision, and the four-month clock for the extra obligations starts when the provider is notified. The Commission can also rely on other information available to it, not only on the figures the provider reports.

A designation is not permanent. The Commission ends it when a service stays below the threshold for an uninterrupted period of one year, which is how Stripchat left the list.

What designation means

Four months after being notified, a designated service must meet obligations on top of the DSA's general rules for platforms. The main ones are:

  • an annual assessment of systemic risks, including illegal content, effects on fundamental rights, elections and civic discourse, public security, gender-based violence, minors and users' physical and mental well-being;
  • measures to mitigate those risks and a crisis response mechanism;
  • an independent audit every year;
  • at least one recommender system option that is not based on profiling;
  • a public repository of the ads shown on the service;
  • data access for vetted researchers;
  • an internal compliance function and transparency reports every six months;
  • an annual supervisory fee of up to 0.05% of worldwide annual net income.

For these obligations the Commission is the supervisor, working with the Digital Services Coordinator of the country where the provider is established, most often Ireland's Coimisiún na Meán. The full text is in Regulation (EU) 2022/2065.

What it changes for users

Some VLOP rules are visible to ordinary users. On a designated service you should be able to switch to a feed or recommendations that are not based on profiling, look up which ads were shown and who paid for them in the public ad repository, and use the platform's notice and appeal tools for content decisions. Complaints about a platform's compliance can be sent to the national Digital Services Coordinator, which can pass them to the Commission.

Deadlines for the newest designations

According to the Commission's 31 August 2026 announcement, ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox have until January 2027 to comply with the extra obligations. WhatsApp, designated in January 2026, had to comply by mid-May 2026. All four were already bound by the general DSA rules for online platforms or search engines.

Fines and investigations so far

The DSA allows fines of up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover and periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of average daily turnover. As of October 2026, the Commission has issued three fines against designated services:

  • X, €120 million on 5 December 2025, the first DSA non-compliance decision, over its blue checkmark, ad repository and researcher data access.
  • Temu, €200 million on 28 May 2026, for failing to assess the risk of illegal products properly.
  • AliExpress, €550 million on 20 July 2026, for failures to assess and mitigate risks from illegal, unsafe and counterfeit products. AliExpress must submit an action plan by 20 October 2026.

Open cases include proceedings against Meta over Facebook and Instagram, several against TikTok, a case on Grok and X's recommender systems opened on 26 January 2026, an investigation into Shein opened on 17 February 2026 and one into Snapchat's child protection measures opened on 26 March 2026. We follow each decision in our policy and digital markets sections. The separate list of companies designated under the Digital Markets Act is in our DMA gatekeepers guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many VLOPs are there under the DSA?

As of October 2026 there are 25 very large online platforms and 3 very large online search engines, 28 services in total. The Commission last updated its list on 31 August 2026.

What is the threshold to become a VLOP?

A platform or search engine is designated when it has at least 45 million average monthly active recipients in the EU, roughly 10% of the EU population.

Is ChatGPT a VLOP or a VLOSE?

ChatGPT was designated as a very large online search engine on 31 August 2026 because it can search the web in response to prompts. It must meet the extra obligations by January 2027.

Who enforces the DSA against very large platforms?

The European Commission supervises the obligations specific to VLOPs and VLOSEs, in cooperation with the national Digital Services Coordinator of the country where each provider is established.

What is the maximum fine under the DSA?

Up to 6% of the provider's worldwide annual turnover. The largest fine so far is €550 million, imposed on AliExpress in July 2026.