Every autumn, more than six million people attend Oktoberfest in Munich. Hordes of jovial people walk through the streets of the Bavarian capital to enjoy beer, brass bands, and the century-old Teufelsrad ("Devil's Wheel") amusement ride.
The Teufelsrad is a large metal disk that spins with increasing speed until its seated riders fall into a padded shoulder surrounding the ride.
The internet has long been home to videos showing people being spun out by the wheel. But in recent years this has taken an abusive turn, as people began posting “upskirting” videos from the Teufelsrad. A new analysis by Indicator estimates that Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube accounts based outside of Germany raked in thousands of dollars a year publishing pervy videos of women on the Devil's Wheel.
After Indicator contacted Meta about the accounts in question, the company removed 18 of the pages involved under its adult sexual exploitation policy. The company also removed relevant content from seven more. TikTok also deleted six accounts Indicator identified under its policies on body exposure and sexualized behaviors. YouTube did not provide any feedback on the videos we found on its platform.
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