PRIVACY POLICY.

Last updated: July 17, 2026

GutCheck Chicago (“GutCheck”) is operated by Built By Backspace, LLC (“Built By Backspace,” “we,” “us,” “our”). GutCheck doesn’t require an account, and we don’t ask you for personal information to use the site. This policy explains what limited data is collected, mainly through hosting infrastructure and advertising, and how it’s used.

1. Information we collect directly

We don’t operate user accounts, logins, or forms that collect personal information. If you email us, we’ll have whatever information you choose to include in that email, used only to respond to you.

2. Information collected automatically

Like virtually every website, our hosting provider (Vercel) automatically logs standard technical information for security and performance purposes when you visit — things like IP address, browser type, device type, referring page, and timestamps. We don’t use this to build individual profiles of visitors.

3. Cookies and advertising (Google AdSense)

GutCheck displays ads served through Google AdSense. As required by Google’s publisher policies, we disclose the following:

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads on this site based on a user’s prior visits to this or other websites.
• Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for interest-based advertising by visiting aboutads.info.

See our separate Cookie Policy for more detail on what cookies are set and why.

4. Data about restaurants shown on this site

Restaurant names, addresses, and inspection results displayed on GutCheck are public records sourced from the City of Chicago’s Food Inspections open-data feed (data.cityofchicago.org, dataset 4ijn-s7e5). This is government-published public data, not personal data we’ve collected, and is governed by the City of Chicago’s own data disclaimers, not this policy.

5. Children’s privacy

GutCheck isn’t directed at children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect personal information from children.

6. Your choices

You can control cookies through your browser settings, and opt out of personalized advertising using the links in Section 3. Blocking cookies may affect how ads display but won’t affect your ability to browse inspection records.

7. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site or applicable law changes. We’ll update the date at the top when we do.

8. Contact

Questions about this policy: hello@gutcheckchicago.com