Business · The Guardian Technology
Inside the horrifying online network where children extort others to commit violence and self-harm
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In late 2024, in a quiet suburb of Stockholm, a 14-year-old boy approached a man in his 80s who was using a walker.
Key facts
- In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978
- In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111
- Linus Svensson, an investigative reporter at the Swedish broadcaster SVT, had never heard of 764 before the 2024 stabbing
- An indictment unveiled by the US Department of Justice in April 2025 alleges that two American men in their early 20s, Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal, were part of a chatroom with the same
Summary
The video of the attack in Hässelby was streamed and spread quickly. The 764 network, founded by a Texas teenager, Bradley Cadenhead, is one part of an evolving online ecosystem, with perpetrators and victims in dozens of countries. There are several cases currently before courts around the world with alleged links to such groups. “These are young people recruiting other young people,” says Bjørn Ihler, the founder of the security firm Revontulet.