"""

New measure after Teufelsrad videos

Footage taken at the historic Teufelsrad ride set up in Munich for Oktoberfest has brought the privacy debate at the festival back into focus. At least 32,000 videos circulating on social media, some watched millions of times, have prompted the ride’s operator to start handing out free cycling shorts to women.

Teufelsrad is a circular ride that spins faster and causes riders to lose their balance and fall from the platform. In particular, the skirts of women wearing traditional dirndl dresses can lift up, creating an opportunity for people in the crowd to exploit the moment with phone cameras.

The law exists, but criticism continues

In Germany, upskirt filming is a criminal offense and can carry a sentence of up to two years in prison. Still, Josephine Ballon, who heads the German NGO Hate Aid, which supports victims of digital violence, argues that the current law only covers direct upskirt filming and does not adequately protect against images created when a skirt is lifted by movement. Ballon also says new technologies such as camera glasses create additional risks.

The Bavarian police said they have been using warning signs in German and English across the festival grounds since 2025. Police said that this year they detained a 45-year-old Swiss man who was said to have filmed under a German woman’s dirndl dress with his phone; last year there were 10 such detentions, and seven in 2024.

Operator and staff take action on site

Elisabeth Polaczy, who runs Teufelsrad, said she has been giving free shorts to women and girls wearing dresses for the past three years. The 80-year-old said she distributed more than 100 pairs of shorts at this year’s festival and told the BBC: “I want to do everything I can so that people feel safe.”

  • There are warning signs inside the tent in German and English stating that upskirt filming is a crime.
  • Some service workers are also said to have started wearing cycling shorts under their dirndl dresses.

Polaczy says it is practically impossible to monitor everyone in the crowd who is filming with a smartphone. As a result, handing out shorts has become the operator’s most visible physical safeguard.

Social media profits and new filming rules

According to local broadcaster BR, the videos in question were linked to professional YouTubers from Ukraine and some people from Bavaria. BR also reported that one woman earned 9,000 euros from a single clip. It is also alleged that some of the footage was digitally altered to make women appear naked.

Munich City Council has tightened the rules for influencers and content creators making money from social media posts. Live streaming from the festival is banned, and anyone who wants to film must obtain a permit from the city for a fee. This year, licenses were issued to hundreds of influencers receiving income from product placement or sponsorships.

"""