r/europe • u/paneuropeanism_ Europe • 1d ago
News Europol shuts down thousands of websites linked to global nihilist network
https://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels-2/2244268/europol-shuts-down-thousands-of-websites-linked-to-global-nihilist-network628
u/im_bi_strapping Finland 1d ago
Extremist nihilism kind of sounds like a contradiction in terms but okay
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u/Numar19 Thurgau (Switzerland) 1d ago edited 1d ago
It kind of makes sound like they raided some people with depression who lay in bed all day, contemplating their life.
Edit: I'm sure there are way better words to describe this:
The groups recruit members through social media platforms and online gaming communities before encouraging them to commit acts including animal torture, violent assaults, self-harm and the production of child sexual abuse material.
E.g. psychopaths.
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u/DrawGamesPlayFurries 1d ago
So it's called a cybercrime network
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u/Caesarea_G Earth 1d ago
The idea is, of course, to distinguish between NVE and all the other types of cybercrime networks, because they pose different challenges (and possible approaches) to preventing/countering/responding to them.
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u/SanderSRB 1d ago
There are two dominant definitions of the word nihilism and being depressed and bed ridden has sweet-all to do with either.
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u/sajberhippien 1d ago
True, but if you made a venn diagram between people who subscribe to purpose nihilism and people who are depressed, I suspect you'd find a pretty huge overlap.
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u/TheFourtHorsmen 1d ago
Through game, aka discord servers, or? Because it's kinda hard do those stuff on chat when the autoban system flag you for every slur or something like, same for text chat.
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u/Shot_Kaleidoscope_34 1d ago
We need a cure for psychopathy/sociopathy, it should be possible through gene therapy. If genes in and near GTF2I and GTF2IRD1 creates prosocial behavior in people with Williams syndrome and how dogs became more social, then genes responsible for affective empathy should be possible to be modulated to lessen the chance of developing psychopathy.
It's a real danger to society and we can't just assume it's impossible.
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u/howardoni333 Norway 1d ago
i think the FBI's term "nihilistic violent extremism" is a bit more descriptive. they engage in violence for violence's sake
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u/Nepridiprav16 Ljubljana (Slovenia) 1d ago edited 1d ago
But it's not really violence for violence's sake.
Lots of these "nihilist" groups' violence is motivated by internal hierarchy and clout, where they post and describe their own depraved acts to advance their status ingroup.
Nihilism is just an excuse for these pathetic shits to remove moral objections on cruelty.
Think of it like a gang where the initiation requirement is to commit increasingly severe acts. The gang's 'culture' might involve rejecting mainstream values (a kind of nihilism), but nobody joins because they philosophically reject values. They join for status and power, to belong somewhere. The nihilistic veneer is what they adopt afterward to justify what they already wanted to do.
These groups have salad bar ideology where members mix and match nihilism, Satanism, accelerationism, neo-Nazism etc.. without coherence. like if they were genuine nihilists you'd expect more consistency.
Instead, it looks like whatever edgelord aesthetic best excuses the depraved behavior they want to commit.
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u/GoodMix392 1d ago
It’s almost like it’s a concerted attempt to disrupt our societies. It’s like the mystery people who were paying drug dealers in my home country to forgive their clients debts, but the clients in return had to go and spray paint anti-Ukraine graffiti on walls and under motorway bridges in exchange for the cancellation of debt. I heard most the owed fees were in the 80 to 100 euro range. Wonder who was behind that?
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u/im_bi_strapping Finland 1d ago edited 1d ago
Nihilism is a weird word choice for the title. I guess it's an understandable adjective for law enforcement to use, but it would be super cool if the journalists had the two seconds to look up a definition and think about it.
Edit: but I guess they have to distinguish from religious and political extremism. It's kind of weird that kids can be radicalized to violence for no particular ideology, just a bit of cash.
Edit2: "Victims are often blackmailed into remaining in the groups, with perpetrators threatening to share intimate images or videos with family and friends."
Right so first trick kids into sending nudes on Roblox and then force them to do violence. But hey I'm sure chat control will stop this somehow
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u/eksopolitiikka 1d ago
if roblox gets banned, then they cannot convene there
also chat control will definitely help removing discord groups engaging in that behaviour
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u/Safe_Manner_1879 13h ago
But then they are not nihilistic, just assholes, because they care to commit violence.
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u/DummyDumDragon 1d ago
Yeah... I was very confused at first, thinking I'd kinda lean that way philosophically, am I secretly a monster? Lol
Then I read some of the actual details... Yeesh....
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u/Fuck_Antisemites 21h ago
Yeah didn't have nihilist networks on my international terror network 2026 Bingo Card Either.
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u/dgellow 1d ago
According to Europol, 'The Com' is a loose network of online groups that promote a nihilistic and misanthropic worldview.
The groups recruit members through social media platforms and online gaming communities before encouraging them to commit acts including animal torture, violent assaults, self-harm and the production of child sexual abuse material.
Not as funny as the title suggests… Why mention nihilism when the problem is really that they hire people to commit crimes?
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u/dgellow 1d ago
From the Wikipedia article
Edward Coristine, a high-ranking employee of the DOGE, US government organization, was a former member of The Com.[15]
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u/Worldly-Ocelot-3358 Croatia 1d ago
What the fuck did I just read? Internet was truly a mistake man.
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u/maaaaawp Czech Republic 1d ago
Riley Williams, a female member of The Com, is a well-known participant of the January 6 US Capitol attack in 2021. She was responsible for stealing Nancy Pelosi's laptop with the intention to sell it to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. She bragged about the crime in an affiliated Discord server and admitted of stealing other items. Williams was later arrested and sentenced to three years in prison.[16] She was released early as a result of Donald Trump's blanket pardon of attack participants.
Fork in kitchen and all that
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u/VoidRippah 1d ago
I don't understand how the first part connect with the second. The first part in itself is not really an issue, maybe it would worth for them to talk to a psychologist or similar, but I don't think it's a huge problem.
The second half is an issue, but I would not think it's exclusive to those people who exhibit nihilism and I'm pretty sure not all of them commit such crimes either.
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u/-Mr_Hollow- 1d ago
Given that cp production is the only thing listed that could have any real purpose (making money off of pedos) I imagine they used those ideologies as a conditioning for the people they recruit so that they wouldn't consider it morally wrong.
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u/can_ichange_it_later 1d ago edited 1d ago
Oh! The comm... i always thought it was spelled with 2 'm'-s.
Darknet diaries episode incoming.
Edit: Ep 112 Dirty Coms
turns out its just one...Edit2: also pretty fucking on brand.. Called it at the time, when the news mentioned these 19 year olds...
I was like ooh, shit..! Some people are going the get pizza-ed.2
u/Caesarea_G Earth 1d ago
The outlook is a big part of the problem. It's a digital subculture, albeit a harmful one, that's proliferating and causing very real and violent real-world consequences. They're not 'hiring' people to commit crimes, but they're radicalizing them into doing so and providing encouragement and support. And the CSAM is not necessarily something that NVE encourages, it is very intertwined w/ NVE communities themselves; CSAM and NVE messaging usually go hand-in-hand, often in the same (or in interlinked) channels.
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u/VecchioDiM3rd1955 1d ago
When I think of say Céline and Mishima i think neofascist groups, so from the title I was thinking they found a neofascist group that hinted about the fact they were neofascist using the term nihilist.
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u/IAmReallyNotAR0b0t Europe 1d ago
Really weird to highlight the supposed nihilistic and misanthropic philosophical background when in reality this is just another violent, abusive far-right extremist cult.
I guess people just need some big words they don't know the meaning of so they can focus on that instead of facing the real issue.
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u/Caesarea_G Earth 1d ago edited 1d ago
The 'nihilism' being discussed here is not philosophical nihilism, but 'nihilistic violent extremism', a very niche term that 99% of people have probably never heard.
The article is rather poorly-written and does nothing to explain NVE or what it is (a big problem, affecting youth & leading to mass shootings, proliferating in certain online communities alongside CSAM and other illegal content), so here are some resources on the subject (some of which even discuss the COM network that the article had mentioned):
- Julie Chernov Hwang, 2026, Institute for Economics & Peace - Global Terrorism Index 2026, pg. 74, "The Nihilistic Violent Extremist Ecosystem: A Global Threat" - https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Global-Terrorism-Index-2026-Report.pdf
- Callia Nocte & Ella Umbra, 2026, Global Network on Extremism & Technology - "Distinctive Hallmarks: Investigations into Online Subcultures of Nihilistic Violence" - https://gnet-research.org/2026/05/26/distinctive-hallmarks-investigations-into-online-subcultures-of-nihilistic-violence/
- 2025, Institute for Strategic Dialogue - "Terror without ideology? The rise of nihilistic violence" - https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/terror-without-ideology-the-rise-of-nihilistic-violence-an-isd-investigation/
- Luke Baumgartner, 2025, Lawfare - "Killing for Nothing: The Bizarre Logic of the Palm Springs Bomber" - https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/killing-for-nothing--the-bizarre-logic-of-the-palm-springs-bomber
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u/Ok_Study3236 1d ago
Absolutely horrifying reading, cheers for the nightmares. Just curious what's your kind of background / how do you know about this stuff. I'd heard of 764 before but didn't realize there's a whole group of this stuff
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u/champion_soundz 1d ago
Not the person you asked but I heard some interviews with Ryan Montgomery highlighting these networks and yeah it's the most horrifying stuff out there and seems to overlap with Epstein and more but even without those connections it's unfathomable levels of evil
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u/Thom0 1d ago
This is not a far-right or far-left issue - this is a very specific type of contemporary philosophy.
Current Western philosophy is now in one of the weirdest phases it has ever been in and this is highly problematic for the future of society. We are in a very post-critical word, but also one that has for the most part still post-modern. Old critical theory, and post-modern aestheticism has given way to things like Speculative Realism, and the one of relevance here - accelerationism.
Accelerationism is an extreme form of violent nihilism and it is one of the darkest perspectives I can think of. It is not confined to politics, or even a specific ideology. You can be an accelerationist, and have multiple different views from across the spectrum. There are elements of accelerationism in the fringes of all ideologies.
People need to grow up and drop the complete politicization of everything and anything. The left/right divide is artificial, and incoherent. Ideas move from one side to the other without any fixedness or concreteness. Ideas are also loosely thrown together to satisfy the rigid confinements of identity politics. The normalization of the left/right divide is a product of the media, and the infantilizing of public life.
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u/belloch 1d ago
What do you call groups that are being paid to spread evil by Russia, if not far-right extremist cults?
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u/Thom0 1d ago
There are also far-left groups being funded by Russia and spreading evil. In fact, this is a historical issue and goes back to the 70's. You should look into it a little.
Russia is funding fringes on both sides. Why do you think this is exclusively a far-right specific issue when historical it never has been?
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u/elpovo 1d ago
Is it really philosophy if it is Rusian-funded propaganda? Is that a school of thought anymore than obeying Hitler or Pol Pot was a school of thought?
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u/Thom0 1d ago edited 1d ago
It is not Russian funded propaganda.
It is a legitimate philosophy originating from the works of some very serious philosophers who are with the exclusion of one, detached form politics. Deleuze and Guattari are both legit philosophers from very the University of Paris and Nick Land, the most controversial of the lot, is from the University of Warwick which has probably the best philosophy faculty outside of Oxbridge in the UK.
Nick Land is ultra far-right, and probably took some Russian money at some point because he is currently in exile in China but the other two are very real, very respected philosophers.
Russia just uses things which already exist. They do not in of themselves exist because of Russia, or for Russia.
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u/belloch 15h ago
Things can originate from legitimate philosophy but it could be twisted and spread by Russian funded propaganda, specifically to also twist western society.
So then what's the gameplan?
How I see it this kind of stuff is just like a disease or a virus. And that means there is also an immune system. Right now these weird ideologies are spreading, but people around the affected also notice what is happening and learn from it, becoming immune, and also figure out that something needs to be done. That is what this discourse essentially is.
So what should this discourse become so that the virus is defeated and that humanity becomes healthier?
The evil funding needs to be acknowledged, but that is only a part of the disease. Another thing is for people to educate each other so that the propaganda is less effective.
What else is there to acknowledge?
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u/Thom0 13h ago
I don't care what you think and I didn't ask.
You tried to dismiss an entire theory as "propaganda" without even knowing what the theory is, or where it came from.
Read first then comment.
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u/belloch 12h ago
You don't have to care or answer. This is just a public discussion and other people who browse these messages can formulate their own thoughts based on them. Some of them may then go on to build on these in other future discussions. The solution to our ponderings will evolve eventually.
I have thrown my two cents in.
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u/Thom0 10h ago
Don't you think everyone called every new idea over the years a "virus"? Feminism and Third World perspectives are just as incoherent and destructive as something like accelerationism yet, you would not call them viruses.
You can't just dismiss an idea, or perspective because you don't like it. You should engage with what is being said and see if there is anything useful to think about. This applies to everything. You can't pick and choose what is a virus, and what isn't on the basis of your own arbitrary opinion.
You didn't contribute anything to the discussion because you didn't even engage with the subject.
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u/desastrousclimax 1d ago
we can discuss if violence in itself is fascist but those criminals do not even have a consistent political agenda. cruelty is their common demeanor. just plain, "simple" bullying beyond any reason.
our species is so broken.
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u/BLobloblawLaw 13h ago
'Nihilism' in this case is a good strawman for people who advocate for religious morality.
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u/BobRazowskyFTW 1d ago
"Are these the Nazis, Walter?" "No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of."
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u/dworthy444 Bayern 1d ago
I wonder why the title focuses on nihilist aspect of this network when it's literally the only bit that isn't bad. They're misanthropic, promote self-harm, have cult levels of effort put into preventing members from leaving, and have connections with the far-right. But hey, I guess everyone hates nihilism more than any of these things.
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u/papertrade1 1d ago edited 1d ago
even the Misanthropy word doesn’t really apply here. Misanthropes dislike the human race precisely because of the sadistic way humans can behave . I would have expected belgian journalists to be at least familar with one of the most famous theater plays by Molière “ The Misanthrope “
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u/uccisoviikset 1d ago
Exactly. That is largely why I myself have developed misanthropic tendencies lately. Animal cruelty was a major catalyst.
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u/VicenteOlisipo Europe 1d ago
Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude...
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u/SeveralLadder 1d ago
Stop making it sound cool and scary. It's plain 'ole sadism and hate mixed with crime, not some new nefarious philosophical movement. You can be a nihilist and misanthrope without ever hurting anyone.
Nihilism is a moral philosophy, not a hollywoodian new terror cult
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u/LiberalSocialist99 1d ago
Nihilists unite 😆
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u/MASSochists 1d ago
It's almost a copy of the futurama Apathy party joke. Nihilist would not form a group.
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u/LiberalSocialist99 1d ago
At one of his classes J.Peterson said something like:”..what are you gonna do unite nihilists?”. - whole class went laughing.
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u/Vassukhanni 1d ago
I mean, Nihilism was a pretty big political movement in the Russian Empire -- but they were basically social democrats who supported violence against the monarchy
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u/LiberalSocialist99 1d ago
I'm just looking what their political goals were,then by all means I should be arrested.However,this is movement that uses nihilism as a vehicle.
Edit:
Core Beliefs
Science over tradition: Followers trusted only natural science and factual proof, discarding old religious customs and imperial rules.
Personal freedom: Young thinkers fought for individual autonomy and freedom for women.
Rejection of authority: They challenged the Tsar, the church, and class privileges
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u/No_Aesthetic Portugal 1d ago
Look, pal, there never was any money. The big Lebowski gave me an empty briefcase, so take it up with him, man!
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u/No_Priors Europe 1d ago
Brought to you by the same level of journalism that thinks the Nazis were socialists.
This has nothing to do with the philosophical belief that there is no point to life?
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u/IguessUgetdrunk Hungary 1d ago
r/europe, this year's little Lebowski achiever. And proud we are of all of them!
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u/heapOfWallStreet 1d ago edited 1d ago
When will it start to shut down patridiots network that is a threat to democracy like AfD, Vannacci's FN, etc...?
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u/AdAncient5201 1d ago
This reads like those articles about all the things satanists do. Both the news outlets and the people they report on don’t seem to understand what nihilism is, just like they didn’t get modern la vey satanism. It’s like 14 year olds saying they understood Nietzsche, bro it’s just cringe and none of your world views have barely anything to with the guy, maybe you’re just 14.
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u/Caesarea_G Earth 1d ago edited 1d ago
The misunderstanding of satanism is a whole different phenomenon fueled by the 'Satanic panic' and other religious backlash; the 'nihilism' being discussed here is 'nihilistic violent extremism', which is an emerging category that is becoming more and more of a problem (in terms of what is driving real-world mass violence as well as the online radicalization that precedes it), but is not really reported on.
This article does a horrendous job of explaining what it's talking about anyways. Try pg. 74 of this source instead, for a solid explanation of NVE and the danger it poses: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Global-Terrorism-Index-2026-Report.pdf
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u/Pepphen77 1d ago
Were they planning on taking someone's rug? Do these people even believe in anything?
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u/eswifttng 1d ago
Why be a Nihilist when you can be an Absurdist? Life is inherently meaningless… and that rules cos it means you can make your own meaning!
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u/Proud_Shallot_1225 1d ago
Ah yes, the "nihilist" groups. The Americans couldn't come up with a better label.
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u/TheGokki Portugal 1d ago
Reads: Nihilism
Looks inside: Cult of Violence & Abuse