Legal compliance is probably the worst part of building a side project.
For example for basic levels of protection, you at least want a terms of service and privacy policy on your site.
You'd think it's just copying and pasting some boilerplate. But say you want to allow user uploads, then you also need to not get screwed if someone uploads a picture owned by some copyright troll. So then you have to figure out how to get DMCA safe harbor status so you're not responsible for user content. And that requires: registering at a copyright office, monitoring email for timely takedowns, and communicating counter notices, etc. All of this work and we haven't gotten to GDPR compliance yet!
At one point you just go fuck it, it's a side project. Just wrap it in a LLC so it can't bankrupt you even if you do get sued. But now you have to deal with company formation laws which is yet another can of worms.
For example for basic levels of protection, you at least want a terms of service and privacy policy on your site.
You'd think it's just copying and pasting some boilerplate. But say you want to allow user uploads, then you also need to not get screwed if someone uploads a picture owned by some copyright troll. So then you have to figure out how to get DMCA safe harbor status so you're not responsible for user content. And that requires: registering at a copyright office, monitoring email for timely takedowns, and communicating counter notices, etc. All of this work and we haven't gotten to GDPR compliance yet!
At one point you just go fuck it, it's a side project. Just wrap it in a LLC so it can't bankrupt you even if you do get sued. But now you have to deal with company formation laws which is yet another can of worms.