YouTuber fined 120,000 kroner for alcohol videos

Danish YouTuber Martin Guldborg has been fined 120,000 kroner by the Court of Esbjerg for indirectly encouraging children and young people to engage in dangerous behaviour with alcohol, DR reports.

Guldborg, who lives in Bramming near Esbjerg, produces humorous videos on his YouTube channel featuring tests and challenges. The case concerned two videos uploaded in 2022. In one, he tasted 100 alcohol shots and vomited during the process. In the other, he sampled 52 energy drinks.

The court ruled that the videos violated the ban on directly or indirectly encouraging minors to engage in dangerous behaviour. It also found that it was not sufficiently clear the content was advertising, despite links labelled “Find my Merchandise here,” nor that the 16+ age restriction and verbal warnings were adequate.

Guldborg accepted the decision, stating: “The ruling is fine. Rules are rules. I clearly hadn’t read up on them properly when the video was produced, otherwise it would have been labelled according to the law.” He described the fine as “high” and said he would consult his lawyer on whether to pay or appeal.

Consumer Ombudsman Torben Jensen, whose office reported Guldborg to the police, welcomed the ruling. “The verdict shows that influencers targeting children and under-18s have a responsibility to ensure their content is appropriate and suitable for minors. A YouTuber drinking 100 shots in a video freely accessible to under-18s is both illegal and irresponsible,” he said in a statement.

Guldborg is not the first influencer to face legal action. In October 2025, the Consumer Ombudsman reported several influencers for multiple violations of marketing law. Another influencer, convicted in 2019 for hidden advertising, had a fine reduced from 50,000 to 30,000 kroner on appeal after posting 23 unlabelled promotional posts for clothing on Instagram and Facebook.