Let's say I run a basic website with no special legal concerns. What legal issues does every website have that I should know about?
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Possibly related: law.stackexchange.com/q/1187/10 and law.stackexchange.com/q/1996/10 – feetwet♦ Aug 25 '15 at 18:08
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Every website needs a terms of service and a privacy policy. A simple Google search will find you plenty of TOS/PP generators. Then, you just a need to place an easy-to-find link to your TOS/PP on all the pages of your website.
No matter what kind of site you run, it is also a very good idea to register as an official copyright infringement agent. It costs about $140, but it could save you a LOT of hassle in the future.
Other than that, it's hard to say much more since you haven't revealed much about your website. You should be more specific if you want more information.
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Good answer, and I would agree. Follow up question, why does a website need a TOS or PP? (assume US law and no registered users). I can create a follow up question if it's too much to ask for in a comment. – Jdahern Aug 26 '15 at 19:57
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@Jdahern I mean, theoretically if you had a completely blank website, you wouldn't need a TOS or PP. But for a website with any sort of content, you never know what will offend someone or what could be a legal liability. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to have at least a very basic TOS and PP. There are generators which will write them for you for like 5 bucks, and they will at least give you peace of mind. – Jeff Caros Aug 27 '15 at 15:10
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Can you please provide a source or reference, like a law, that states every website needs a terms of service or privacy policy? I'm pretty sure it is just a de facto standard and many 3rd parties require them, like ad networks and payment processors, but I'm not aware that it's an actual law, in the US. – Chloe Apr 19 '17 at 22:28
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1@Chloe It's not a law per se, but you're ridiculously exposed to any manner of tort without one. – Jeff Caros May 22 '17 at 21:31
