Is my Website Illegal?

The first we are gonna learn about the kinda weird german word "Impressum". So, if you don’t know what an Impressum is, here’s a quick run-down in my own words:

An Impressum is basically a legal act in Germany (and some other places, but I only care about Germany since that’s where I live). It’s like a page on your website where you have to list your full name, contact info, and even your address (or the company’s info if you’re a business).

At first, I was kind of worried that I’d be forced to put my personal details out there for everyone to see, which I really don’t want to do. But after digging around in the DDG (Digitale-Dienste Gesetz/Digital Services Act), I found this paragraph in §5 DDG:

"in der Regel gegen Entgelt angebotene digitale Dienste"

– which means "digital services generally offered for money." So, if my site has any way to make money, I need an Impressum.

Since my website doesn’t have ads or any way for people to send me money, I thought I was good. But then I looked at §7 and §10 of the TMG (Telemediengesetz/The German Telemedia Act), and I realized that I’m still responsible for the content on my site. There’s a part that says it usually applies only if I know there’s an issue, but that’s not a guarantee. So, for now, I won’t be adding comments or similar features to my site.

Just so we’re clear: I’m not a lawyer or anything like that. This post is just my take on German law as of 10.11.2024. You can find the actual text here. This is not legal advice.

Please don't sue me ;-;