Based on a news report from ITV News and other sources, teenagers are increasingly being recruited as hitmen via social media. This is part of a growing trend in which criminal gangs use encrypted apps and online platforms to outsource violent crimes, a practice referred to as "violence-as-a-service" or "crime-as-a-service."

Here are some key points from the reports:

In Denmark and Sweden, police have arrested several individuals, including minors, who were allegedly recruited online to carry out contract killings.

In one case in France, a 14-year-old boy was reportedly hired via social media to carry out a revenge killing.

The criminal networks often target young people with promises of easy money, but law enforcement agencies are working to dismantle these operations and track down the masterminds behind them.

The issue is being addressed by international law enforcement agencies like Europol, which has launched an operational task force to combat the use of encrypted platforms for contract killings.