The search feature of ChatGPT, which gives the chatbot access to current information online, is rapidly gaining traction in Europe. According to a report by OpenAI Ireland Limited, the average number of active users of this feature reached 41.3 million monthly over the six months leading to March 31, 2025. In comparison, the previous six-month period recorded only 11.2 million. This was reported by TechCrunch.
OpenAI releases this statistic in accordance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates the activities of large online platforms in Europe. Under this law, services with over 45 million active monthly users must allow opting out of recommendation algorithms, provide access to certain data for researchers and authorities, and undergo external audits. If the current growth rate continues, ChatGPT Search may fall under these requirements.
Violating DSA regulations could result in fines of up to 6% of the company's global turnover or even a temporary ban on operating within the EU.
Despite the rapid growth, ChatGPT Search is still far from the market leader — Google. Estimates suggest that the number of search queries on Google exceeds those on ChatGPT by hundreds of times. Surveys reveal that only 8% of users are willing to use ChatGPT as their primary search engine.
Additionally, ChatGPT Search has its drawbacks — particularly in accuracy. Research shows that it often makes mistakes when searching for articles or processing news, even when it has access to licensed sources.