Women Given Free Shorts at Oktoberfest to Protect Them From Voyeuristic Filming

Women attending Munich’s Oktoberfest are being offered free cycling shorts at one of the festival’s most famous attractions, after thousands of voyeuristic videos filmed at the ride appeared online.

The initiative is taking place at the Teufelsrad, or Devil’s Wheel, a large rotating attraction where riders sit on a spinning platform that gradually increases in speed until people are thrown into a padded area around the edge.

The movement can cause skirts and traditional dirndl dresses to rise, creating opportunities for people in the surrounding crowd to secretly film underneath them.

Free shorts offered to visitors

Elisabeth Polaczy, the operator of the Teufelsrad, has been handing out free cycling shorts to women and girls wearing dresses for the past three years.

She told BBC News that she has distributed more than 100 pairs during this year’s Oktoberfest. Her aim is to help visitors feel more secure while enjoying the attraction.

The measure has become particularly relevant after investigations found that large numbers of videos filmed at the ride have circulated on social media and other online platforms.

Thousands of videos found online

A recent investigation by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung found at least 32,000 videos connected to the Teufelsrad circulating online.

Some of the recordings have reportedly attracted millions of views. Investigations by German broadcaster BR also found that some people were making money by distributing the videos.

The situation has raised concerns about privacy and the way smartphones and social media can turn an uncomfortable encounter at a public event into content that can remain online long after the festival ends.

Police warnings at the festival

Filming underneath someone’s clothing is illegal in Germany. Police have increased warnings at Oktoberfest, including posters reminding visitors that upskirting is a crime.

According to Bavarian police, officers have made arrests in connection with alleged upskirting at the festival in recent years. Police also encourage visitors to report suspicious behaviour.

However, privacy advocates say existing laws do not necessarily cover every situation in which images are captured when clothing accidentally moves or when recordings are later manipulated and distributed online.

A wider problem for women online

The issue goes beyond the Oktoberfest itself. Privacy and digital-safety organisations have warned about the wider problem of intimate images being shared without consent.

The Teufelsrad has become an especially visible example because of the attraction’s spinning motion and the large crowds surrounding it. But the concerns raised by the incident reflect a broader challenge faced by people attending public events in the age of smartphones and social media.

For Polaczy, the free shorts are a practical step that can be taken immediately. She said she wants visitors to feel safe while taking part in the attraction.

The story has also prompted renewed discussion about how event organisers, police, social-media companies and visitors can work together to prevent unwanted filming and the distribution of intimate images.

Sources: BBC News, Süddeutsche Zeitung, BR24, Bavarian Police.