Tens of thousands of videos of women at Oktoberfest, mainly at the “Teufelsrad” attraction, have been posted on YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.
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An investigation by German broadcaster BR found that some of the videos had been used to generate millions of views and make money.
The recordings often show young women wearing “Dirndl” outfits. The cameras focus on moments when they lose their balance on the spinning wheel and their clothes shift, in some cases revealing parts of their bodies and underwear.
The investigation suspects that a man from Bavaria filmed some of the content himself and was connected to more than a dozen social media accounts. His videos, now deleted, had collectively garnered hundreds of millions of views.
A woman identified in the footage said that its publication had caused her “disgust, shame and anger.” One of the videos in which she appeared had been viewed at least 74 million times.
BR also identified a woman from Upper Bavaria who is suspected of regularly producing videos of this kind. She said she had filmed more than 600 videos over 18 days. Her most-followed YouTube channel had more than 160,000 subscribers.
In some cases, unpublished videos were offered for hundreds of euros. The woman claimed that a single video had earned her 9,000 euros in one night.
According to BR’s investigation, the activity extends beyond Germany. In Ukraine, investigators found a community with thousands of members, where the potential for such footage to attract viewers and generate income appeared to have been exploited.
Some channels in the community used pornographic images as video thumbnails. Dozens of accounts were being sold on a Ukrainian online marketplace, while a Telegram group offered videos showing women only, at a price of around six euros per minute.
Following inquiries from BR, YouTube, Meta and TikTok announced that they had deleted videos and accounts linked to the material.
The organizers of “Teufelsrad” said that since 2024 they had taken measures against “upskirting,” the covert filming beneath people’s clothing. Notices about the legal consequences have been posted in the area, while staff can notify the police when they have suspicions.
Nevertheless, BR journalists saw people filming for long periods with phones and GoPro cameras without intervention from staff. One of them livestreamed on TikTok for several hours, even though live broadcasts are prohibited throughout the festival, and also posted footage of children during the video.
Oktoberfest director Christian Scharpf said the debate required moderation and sound judgment. He said that publishing content that humiliates or discriminates against people must be taken seriously and announced that further discussions would be held with the office responsible for gender equality.
