Thousands of illegal upskirting videos linked to Oktoberfest's Devil's Wheel ride

A recent study uncovered more than 32,000 upskirting videos tied to the Teufelsrad, a historic spinning ride at Oktoberfest, on Meta platforms alone, with additional thousands on YouTube and TikTok. The footage often shows women’s dirndls riding up as they are flung from the disc, and dedicated accounts sharing such material have attracted large followings. Under German law, recording intimate body parts without permission is a criminal offence, carrying fines or up to two years’ imprisonment.

Ride operator Elisabeth Polaczy reports installing signage that bans unauthorized filming and offering around 600 free cycling shorts to give women extra coverage. Oktoberfest director Christian Scharpf condemned the practice as a disgrace, while city officials altered historic figures above the ride to reduce sexist imagery. The controversy has sparked debate over privacy, harassment and the role of social-media platforms in spreading illicit content.