Ecosystem known as the Com is carrying out extreme exploitation, violence and sexual abuse, says report
A leading UK online safety charity has issued a “public warning” about a hacking community that is targeting vulnerable children for sexual abuse, self-harm and suicide.
The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) said online networks linked to a global ecosystem labelled the Com were carrying out extreme exploitation, cyberbullying, violence and abuse – and called for a coordinated global response from governments, regulators, law enforcement and tech companies.
The warning follows the publication of a report by the online risk consultancy Resolver in partnership with the MRF, which was founded by the family of Molly Russell, a British teenager who killed herself in 2017 after viewing harmful content online.
“The growing threat posed by Com networks is the most chilling and urgent threat to children online today and it requires a swift and comprehensive response,” said Andy Burrows, MRF’s chief executive, who described the report as a “public warning”.
