ChatGPT’s web search feature is rapidly gaining traction across Europe, according to data shared by OpenAI Ireland Limited. The feature, which allows the chatbot to provide real-time, web-based information, recorded an average of 41.3 million monthly active users in the European Union over the six months ending March 31, 2025. This marks a significant rise from 11.2 million users during the previous six-month period ending October 31, 2024.
OpenAI reports these figures to comply with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires online platforms to share user engagement statistics and ensure transparency. Under the DSA, platforms with over 45 million average monthly users are classified as “very large” and must meet additional obligations, including giving users the option to opt out of personalized recommendations, sharing data with researchers and regulators, and undergoing independent audits. If ChatGPT search continues on its current growth path, it may soon reach this threshold and face these regulatory requirements.
The DSA imposes strict penalties for non-compliance, with fines reaching up to 6% of a company’s global revenue. Persistent failure to meet the rules could even lead to temporary suspension within the EU market.
Since its launch last year, ChatGPT search has begun challenging established search engines like Google. A poll conducted in September showed that 8% of respondents preferred ChatGPT over Google as their primary search tool. However, Google continues to dominate the search landscape, processing significantly more queries — reportedly 373 times more than ChatGPT.
Despite its growing popularity, studies have raised concerns about the reliability of AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT. Research indicates that ChatGPT has provided inaccurate information in a notable number of search queries, including misidentifying around 67% of cited articles in one study. Accuracy issues have also been found in its handling of news content, even from publishers that hold licensing deals with OpenAI.
