Europol has flagged 4,340 URLs for removal during a multi-week operation targeting online content linked to “The Com,” a loosely organized network of nihilistic violent extremist groups.
Investigators from nine countries (i.e., Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden) took part in what Europol called “Referral Action Days” between June and July 2026.
The joint action, which ties into the European Commission’s ProtectEU counterterrorism agenda and was organized by Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) and Spain’s Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO), aimed to disrupt The Com’s online ecosystem, limit nihilistic violent extremism content disseminated online by The Com groups, and generate new investigative leads.
“The Com’s content is laced with coded language and emojis that adults may struggle to decipher, conveying sinister messages that encourage self-harm and the sexual exploitation of minors. [..] The content referenced in this operation includes violent videos and images depicting self-harm, suicide, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), animal cruelty, and violent attacks,” Europol said. “
“Other types of content include videos of violent street attacks, a practice known as ‘manhunt,’ or arson. Additionally, The Com produces manuals or guides covering topics such as grooming, murder, improvised explosives, or ideological viewpoints. These manuals are created by groups to instruct members on methods for committing violent attacks, grooming and (s)extorting vulnerable minors, or conducting doxing and swatting.”
This builds on Project Compass, a yearlong operation launched in January 2025 and led by Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre, which has brought together law enforcement from 28 countries.
As BleepingComputer previously reported in February, that broader effort has resulted in 30 arrests and identified 179 suspects tied to The Com, along with 62 victims.
In January 2025, Europol also published a notification on the rise of online cult communities specifically targeting young people.
Europol describes The Com (short for Community) as a decentralized network lacking unified ideology, where some factions pursue violent right-wing extremist and accelerationist beliefs.
The Com-affiliated groups recruit and groom victims through social media, messaging apps and gaming platforms, coercing them into self-harm, violence and the production of child sexual abuse material, often through extortion.
“They distribute propaganda on accessible platforms to attract young individuals, funnelling potential members and victims into private forums and chat rooms where radicalisation and victimisation occur. Victims are typically coerced into remaining under the perpetrators’ influence through (s)extortion,” Europol added on Friday.
According to Europol’s February announcement, The Com is organized into multiple subgroups, including:
Two alleged 764 leaders (20-year-old Prasan Nepal and 21-year-old Leonidas Varagiannis) were arrested in April 2025and are now facing life in prison for operating an international child exploitation ring.
The Com has previously been linked to high-profile ransomware attacks against Las Vegas casino breaches in September 2023 and Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods in April 2025.
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