Inside the horrifying online network where children extort others to commit violence and self-harm
The 764 network is just one part of a growing online ecosystem that pushes young members into brutal and degrading acts. It has perpetrators and victims in dozens of countries In late 2024, in a quiet suburb of Stockholm, a 14-year-old boy approached a man in...
An investigation highlighted by The Guardian Technology describes a disturbing online ecosystem in which children and teenagers are drawn into coercion, humiliation and violence, sometimes being pushed to harm others or themselves. One part of that network is known as 764, but the report says it is only one element of a broader system that spans many countries.
According to the monitored public feed, the network operates through a process the researcher Marc-André Argentino describes as “gamification of harm.” In practice, that means acts of brutality and degradation are treated like challenges, rewards or status markers inside online spaces that encourage young members to cross escalating lines. The result, the report suggests, is not only recruitment into abusive behavior but also a culture that celebrates cruelty.
The feed summary points to a case in late 2024 in Hässelby, a suburb of Stockholm, where a 14-year-old boy allegedly approached a man in his 80s who was using a walker and stabbed him three times in the back. Video of the attack was then streamed and quickly spread online, feeding the same ecosystem the report examines. The incident is presented as one example of how violent acts can be amplified and normalized in these circles.
The Guardian’s report says the network has both perpetrators and victims in dozens of countries, underscoring the cross-border nature of the threat. That reach makes it harder for law enforcement, schools and families to identify patterns early, especially when the activity is hidden inside fragmented online communities and often involves minors targeting other minors.
The broader concern raised in the feed is that these groups do not simply glorify violence after the fact; they appear to actively push young participants toward increasingly dangerous conduct. The effect is a feedback loop in which publicized harm becomes a form of currency, and participation can deepen through peer pressure, manipulation and the desire for recognition.
This article is based on a monitored public feed and the reporting summarized there. Source attribution is included below.
Source: The Guardian Technology - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2026/jul/21/764-network-gamification-of-harm-the-com-cybercrime-ntwnfb
