Roblox's reported user numbers will make it subject to additional EU legislation for regulating social networks

Roblox’s reported European audience has pushed it over the Digital Services Act threshold that can trigger very large online platform status. The company said it averaged 48 million monthly active users in the EU for the six months ending February 13, 2026, which puts it above the 45 million-user line used by the European Commission.

That matters because VLOP designation brings a much heavier compliance load than ordinary platform rules. Roblox would need to assess systemic risks around illegal content, minors, wellbeing, and gender-based violence, then document and mitigate those risks. It would also face annual independent audits, internal compliance requirements, data-sharing obligations with regulators, and a requirement to offer a recommender option that does not rely on user profiling.

For game developers, the interesting part is that Roblox sits in the awkward middle ground between game, social network, and creator platform. If the EU treats it like a major online platform, that could influence moderation tooling, discovery systems, ad handling, and how user-generated content ecosystems are governed across Europe. It also raises the possibility that other large game platforms with social features could end up under similar scrutiny.

The Commission has not made a final designation yet, but it has said Roblox and ChatGPT are both above the threshold and are being looked at for possible future action. If Roblox is ultimately classified, it would have four months to comply, and failure to stay above the threshold for a full year could lead to revocation of the...