ChatGPT Search Gains Traction Across Europe Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search — a feature that allows the chatbot to pull real-time information from the web — is experiencing rapid growth in Europe, according to newly released data.
A report from OpenAI Ireland Limited, the company’s European division, reveals that ChatGPT Search averaged around 41.3 million monthly active users during the six-month period ending March 31, 2025. That marks a significant jump from 11.2 million during the previous six-month period ending October 31, 2024.
This disclosure is part of OpenAI’s efforts to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) — sweeping legislation that regulates online platforms operating in the region. Under the DSA, platforms must report monthly “active recipients,” defined as users who actively engage with the service at least once during a given time period by interacting with or being exposed to content.
If ChatGPT Search crosses the DSA’s 45 million-user threshold for “very large” online platforms or search engines, OpenAI would face additional compliance requirements. These include offering users the ability to opt out of personalized recommendations and profiling, conducting external audits, and sharing select data with researchers and regulatory authorities.
Noncompliance with the DSA can lead to fines of up to 6% of global turnover, and in extreme cases, temporary suspension of the service within the EU.
Since launching in 2024, ChatGPT Search has chipped away — modestly — at Google’s dominance. A September 2024 poll found that 8% of users would prefer ChatGPT as their primary search engine over Google. Nevertheless, Google remains far ahead, reportedly handling 373 times more search traffic than ChatGPT.
Despite its growth, AI-based search engines like ChatGPT continue to face criticism for accuracy. One study found that ChatGPT misidentified 67% of cited articles, while another raised concerns about how it handles news content, even from publishers OpenAI has licensing agreements with.
As user adoption climbs and regulatory oversight intensifies, the future of ChatGPT Search in Europe will likely hinge on its ability to balance innovation with accuracy and transparency.
