UK Crime Agency Warns of Surge in 'Com' Networks Exploiting Teens Online

The NCA's latest report highlights a sixfold increase in reports of 'Com' networks, which normalize violence and abuse, and calls for urgent action from tech companies and policymakers.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has identified 'Com' networks, online groups dominated by teenage boys, as a growing threat normalizing extreme violence, misogyny, and child abuse.
Reports of these networks in the UK have risen sixfold between 2022 and 2024, with thousands of users and victims involved in crimes ranging from coercion to fraud and sexual exploitation.
AI technologies are being increasingly used by offenders to create harmful content, including child sexual abuse material, exacerbating the scale and severity of these crimes.
Victims, often young girls, are coerced into self-harm, abuse, or suicide, with some unaware that they are being exploited due to sophisticated grooming tactics.
Authorities have called for immediate action from parents, educators, social media platforms, and regulators, emphasizing the need to strengthen the Online Safety Act to address these emerging risks.