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AzerNEWS Staff

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European law enforcement agencies have warned of a growing form of violent extremism among young internet users in which participants may have no clear political or religious ideology but are instead united by an interest in brutality, a desire to shock others and the pursuit of notoriety online.

The warning came from the European Union’s Counter Terrorism Coordinator, Bartjan Wegter, who described the phenomenon as violence committed for its own sake.

Young people involved in such online communities share images of attacks, discuss crimes and encourage one another to carry out acts of violence in the real world, Wegter said.

During an operation conducted by law enforcement agencies in nine European countries in June and July, investigators identified around 4,340 internet addresses linked to one such community, according to the Associated Press.

The community has no single leader or rigid organisational structure, making it particularly difficult for authorities to investigate and disrupt.

Participants move between social media platforms, private chat groups and encrypted services. Some are also reported to use blackmail and psychological pressure to persuade teenagers to harm themselves or others and then publish evidence of their actions online, according to the source.

Authorities are particularly concerned about individuals with no previous criminal convictions and no apparent links to established extremist organisations.

Such individuals may potentially move quickly from consuming violent material online to preparing an attack without coming to the attention of police, raising concerns about the ability of authorities to identify potential threats at an early stage.

The emerging phenomenon presents a challenge to traditional counter terrorism efforts, which have often focused on established ideological movements, organised groups and individuals already known to security services.

In these loosely connected online communities, violence itself can become a form of social currency, with shocking acts and graphic material used to gain recognition and status.

European authorities are now calling for broader digital investigation capabilities to help identify and disrupt such networks.

At the same time, governments acknowledge that increased scrutiny of private communications raises concerns over the right to privacy of millions of citizens.

The authorities therefore face a difficult balance between expanding their ability to investigate potentially dangerous online activity and protecting individual privacy.

The debate comes as European countries continue to monitor the broader terrorist threat.

According to Europol, 45 terrorist attacks, including completed, failed and foiled attacks, were recorded in 10 EU member states in 2025. Six people were killed in those attacks.

A total of 486 people suspected of links to terrorist activity were arrested in 21 EU member states during the same year.

The emergence of loosely organised online communities centred on violence and notoriety is adding a new dimension to the challenge facing European security agencies, forcing them to look beyond traditional forms of ideological extremism.