The search functionality of ChatGPT is rapidly gaining traction in Europe, giving the chatbot access to fresh information from the internet. According to a report by OpenAI Ireland Limited, the average number of monthly active users for this feature reached 41.3 million in the six months leading up to March 31, 2025. In comparison, the previous half-year saw only 11.2 million users.

This statistic was released by OpenAI in accordance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs the operations of large online platforms in Europe. Under this law, services with over 45 million active monthly users must allow users to opt-out of recommendation algorithms, provide access to certain data for researchers and authorities, and undergo external audits. If the current growth rates persist, ChatGPT Search may be subject to these requirements.

Violations of DSA regulations could lead to fines of up to 6% of the company's global revenue or even a temporary ban on operations within the EU.

Despite its rapid growth, ChatGPT Search is still far from being a market leader like Google. Estimates suggest that the number of search queries on Google far exceeds those of ChatGPT by a factor of hundreds. Surveys indicate that only 8% of users are willing to adopt ChatGPT as their primary search engine.

Furthermore, ChatGPT Search has its shortcomings, particularly in accuracy. Research shows that it frequently makes mistakes when searching for articles or processing news, even when it has access to licensed sources.