OpenAI’s ChatGPT search feature is seeing rapid growth across Europe, according to recent data from the company’s EU division, OpenAI Ireland Limited. The tool, which allows ChatGPT to pull real-time information from the web into its responses, reached around 41.3 million average monthly active users in the European Union for the six-month period ending March 31, 2025. This marks a significant rise from the 11.2 million users reported during the previous six-month period ending October 31, 2024.
The data was shared as part of OpenAI’s compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs various aspects of online services in the region. Under the DSA, monthly active recipients are defined as users who engage with the service at least once during the reporting period by either viewing, listening to, or interacting with the content provided.
If ChatGPT search crosses the threshold of 45 million average monthly users, it could be officially classified as a “very large” online platform or search engine under the DSA. This classification brings additional responsibilities, such as offering users the option to disable recommendation algorithms, sharing key data with regulators and researchers, and undergoing independent audits. Non-compliance with these rules could lead to fines of up to 6% of a company’s global revenue or even a temporary ban from operating in the EU.
Since its launch last year, ChatGPT search has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional search engines like Google. A survey conducted in September showed that 8% of respondents would choose ChatGPT as their main search tool. However, Google continues to dominate the search market, handling an estimated 373 times more queries than ChatGPT.Despite its growing user base, ChatGPT search has faced scrutiny over the accuracy of its results. Studies have reported that the tool misidentified a large share of search results, with one analysis showing a 67% error rate when retrieving specific articles.
