Online Course Legal: What You Must Know About Compliance, Liability, and Accessibility

When you create an online course legal, the set of laws and standards that govern how educational content is delivered, protected, and accessed. Also known as e-learning compliance, it isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits—it’s about making sure your students can actually learn without barriers. If you’re selling courses online, you’re running a business. And like any business, you have legal responsibilities. These aren’t optional. The law doesn’t care if you’re a solo instructor or a small team. If your course is accessible to the public, you need to follow the rules.

One of the biggest blind spots? ADA compliance, the legal requirement that digital content be accessible to people with disabilities. Also known as web accessibility, it’s not just about screen readers. It means your videos have captions, your PDFs are readable, your slides use proper contrast, and your platform works with assistive tools. The Department of Justice has fined schools, coaches, and course creators for ignoring this. You don’t need to be a tech expert—you just need to know what’s required and take basic steps. Then there’s instructor liability, your legal exposure if something goes wrong during or because of your course. If a student loses money trading based on your advice, gets injured following your fitness routine, or suffers mental stress from your content, you could be sued. Most instructors assume their platform covers them. It doesn’t. You need specific insurance. It’s cheap. Skipping it is like driving without car insurance. And don’t forget privacy laws, rules like GDPR and CCPA that control how you collect, store, and use student data. If you collect emails, track progress, or use analytics, you’re handling personal information. You must tell people what you’re doing. You must let them opt out. You must secure the data. A single data breach can cost thousands in fines and damage your reputation.

These aren’t abstract concepts. They’re real, active rules that apply right now. The posts below cover exactly what you need: how to make your course accessible under ADA, what insurance policies actually cover instructors, how to handle student data legally, and how to avoid lawsuits before they happen. No theory. No fluff. Just actionable steps based on real cases, real laws, and real mistakes made by people just like you.