Outside the Hamburg District Court began on 30 October 2026 at trial against an influencer. At the opening, videos from social media were shown which, according to the prosecution, depict a fake inspection at an Asian takeaway . The defendant is said to have asked an employee to open areas of the kitchen and dispose of goods.
The Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses the man of repeatedly posing as an official food inspector to gain access to kitchens and storage areas and film the situations. The affected restaurateurs and the Altona District Office filed criminal complaints. The authorities then continued their investigation, including after searching a home. The influencer uses the name LanglebePapa up.
The prosecution is relying on published footage and witness statements. It argues that the offence of impersonating a public official has been committed. Under current law, it is a criminal offence to falsely claim or exercise official powers without authorisation. The prosecution also stresses that such stunts undermine trust in official inspections.
The defence counsel and defendant largely denied the allegations. According to accounts from the courtroom, the defence argued that the posts were protected by freedom of expression or artistic freedom. The court admitted the videos shown as evidence, but refrained from commenting on them in open court. The taking of evidence will continue, with further witnesses due to be heard.
The case has already prompted wider debate before the trial began. Industry representatives and authorities point to a growing number of incidents in which employees with limited language skills are deliberately humiliated. Legal experts stress that whether something constitutes permissible satire or criminal impersonation of official duties depends on the circumstances of each individual case.
The court did not announce a date for its decision. For now, the focus is on examining the footage and hearing from those affected. Regardless of the outcome of the proceedings, municipal authorities say they are considering how businesses and staff can be better protected against fake inspections. In Hamburg there is also discussion about how genuine inspections can be made more recognisable to the public without disrupting the work of food safety inspectors.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).