Your vibe-coded app could expose you to a $100K+ legal problem before it makes its first sale.

Here are 6 traps I’d check before launching an AI-built app:

1. Signup doesn’t ask for age
   If your app collects data from children under 13, COPPA can create serious compliance obligations, with civil penalties that can reach tens of thousands of dollars per violation.

2. Google Fonts are loaded directly from Google
   A German court once ordered a website operator to pay €100 after a visitor’s IP address was transmitted to Google through remotely loaded fonts, raising GDPR concerns.

3. Session replay is enabled by default
   Some session-replay tools can capture sensitive user interactions. In California, certain recording practices have triggered wiretapping claims under CIPA, with potentially significant statutory damages.

4. Your marketing emails have no unsubscribe link
   CAN-SPAM requires commercial emails to include mechanisms such as an opt-out method and a valid physical postal address. Violations can carry substantial penalties.

5. Your subscription checkout hides the renewal terms
   Automatic-renewal laws can require clear disclosures and consent before charging customers again. California has particularly detailed requirements.

6. You accept user uploads but haven’t registered a DMCA agent
   If your platform hosts user-generated content, failing to follow the DMCA safe-harbor requirements can leave you with less protection against copyright claims.

The scary part?

These risks can scale with your users, sessions, emails, or individual violations.

Your app can make $0 and still create a legal headache.

So before you launch, paste this into Claude:

“Audit my app for these 6 legal risks and identify exactly where my implementation creates exposure. Add an appropriate age gate, self-host fonts where appropriate, disable session replay or implement consent and input masking, add compliant unsubscribe and postal-address information to marketing emails, clearly disclose subscription renewal terms before purchase, and walk me through the requirements for registering a DMCA designated agent. Flag anything that requires review by a qualified lawyer.”»

Save this before you launch your next vibe-coded app.

And honestly, anchoring me might be the cheapest co-founder you’ll ever hire. 😅

Not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and situation. Talk to a qualified lawyer about your specific app.

#vibecoding #buildinpublic #indiehacker #saas #startup