Australia warns of online network recruiting young people
International law enforcement agencies are investigating decentralised groups that manipulate and blackmail vulnerable young people.
Australian media report on an international online network that approaches young people via social media, chat services and online games. Europol describes the same broader phenomenon as a cross-border threat to minors and other vulnerable people.
ABC reports that a network described by journalists as an online cult is spreading further in Australia. One young person told the broadcaster about manipulation and pressure from online contacts. The young person’s identity has not been made public and is not relevant to establishing the broader development.
Europol uses the name The Com for the broader network. According to the European law enforcement agency, it consists of several loosely connected groups with varying aims. Some groups focus on blackmail and manipulation of minors, while others focus on extremist propaganda, digital crime or inciting dangerous behaviour.
The groups do not operate from a single identifiable organisation. Contacts can arise on social media, in messaging apps, on music platforms and in online games. According to Europol, vulnerable young people are approached with attention, status or a sense of belonging. Pressure, threats or blackmail may then be used to keep them in the group.
One frequently mentioned subgroup is 764. Europol describes the group as decentralised and dangerous, but the agency also warns that online networks and names are constantly changing. It is therefore not responsible to automatically attribute every online group using similar language to the same organisation.
Europol’s Project COMPASS brings together law enforcement agencies from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and various European countries. The approach combines investigations into extremism, organised crime and online exploitation. Europol says international cooperation is necessary because perpetrators, victims, platforms and digital infrastructure are often located in different countries.
The reporting also raises questions about the role of technology companies. Rapid removal of harmful accounts can protect young people, but law enforcement agencies also need access to digital data to investigate networks. An effective approach therefore requires clear reporting procedures, protection for victims, sufficient specialised police capacity and oversight of how platforms and governments intervene.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Europol is investigating The Com as a cross-border network.
- According to Europol, the groups target minors and vulnerable young people, among others.
- Australian media report new experiences involving the network.
- The groups use multiple types of digital platforms.
Left
Arguments Prevention, youth work and platform responsibility should be central. Young people who are manipulated are first and foremost victims and need protection and support.
Values Children’s rights, social protection and addressing vulnerability.
Consequences An exclusively criminal justice approach may miss victims and leave the underlying social problems unaddressed.
Centre
Arguments Law enforcement agencies, schools, support organisations and platforms should share information within clear legal boundaries. Intervention should be targeted and subject to oversight.
Values Proportionality, privacy and effective protection.
Consequences Cooperation can identify risks more quickly, but requires strong safeguards against broad monitoring of young people.
Right
Arguments Platforms should remove accounts and groups that threaten or blackmail minors more quickly. Police and prosecutors need sufficient powers to prosecute organisers across borders.
Values Public safety, responsibility and enforcement.
Consequences Faster intervention can protect victims, but overly broad removal or investigative powers can affect legitimate communication and legal protection.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The description of the broader network and international law enforcement cooperation is based on Europol. The specific Australian experiences are attributed to ABC and are not generalised to all young people or platforms.
- confirmed ABC reported on an online network that approaches young people in Australia. — Subject of the ABC report. source
- confirmed Europol describes The Com as a decentralised network that targets minors and vulnerable young people. — Stated on the Project COMPASS page. source
- confirmed Project COMPASS includes law enforcement partners from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and European countries. — Europol names the participating countries. source
- confirmed The term ‘cult’ is not an established legal classification for the network. — This is an editorial explanation of the difference between journalistic description and legal classification. source