Europol Targets Violent Online Network

Europol said a joint operation involving nine countries led to the referral of 4,340 URLs linked to nihilistic violent extremist content associated with the online network known as “The Com.” The action, conducted over several weeks in June and July 2026, sought to disrupt the network’s online ecosystem, limit propaganda and generate new investigative leads.

The Referral Action Days were organized by Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit and Spain’s Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organised Crime. Authorities from Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden participated. Europol said the operation also aimed to improve online platforms’ ability to identify and respond to terrorist content.

“The Com,” short for “the Community,” is described as a loosely connected network of fringe online groups without a central structure or unified ideology. Europol said some groups promote violent extremist and accelerationist views, while others use social media, messaging services and gaming platforms to target minors, promote self-harm and violence, and facilitate exploitation and extortion.

The action complements Project COMPASS, coordinated by Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre, which focuses on the broader threat posed by The Com. Europol said its recent terrorism assessment identified nihilistic violent extremism as a destabilizing ideology and warned that the network has developed into a global concern, particularly because minors may be targeted as both victims and perpetrators.