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

OpenAI releases this data in accordance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates the operations of large online platforms in Europe. Under this law, services with over 45 million active users monthly must allow the option 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 have to comply with these requirements.

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

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

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