Social media fuels child recruitment in Colombia
Human Rights Watch said Monday that armed groups in Colombia are using Facebook and TikTok to recruit children, accusing the platforms of failing to prevent recruitment content from spreading and, in some cases, appearing to amplify it.
Around 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups since 2021, according to HRW. Children are reportedly used for combat, intelligence gathering and handling weapons, drones and explosives.
Indigenous children among most vulnerable
According to AFP, HRW said Indigenous children account for nearly half of documented recruits, despite representing about 4% of Colombia’s population. Girls make up around 40% of recruits and face particular risks of sexual violence.
The rights group said armed organizations use social media to promote a glamorous image of life in their ranks, featuring cash, jewelry, training camps and promises of easy money.
FARC dissidents lead recruitment
Dissident groups that emerged from the former FARC accounted for 74% of documented child recruitment cases between 2021 and 2025, HRW said.
The group said it alerted Meta and TikTok owner ByteDance about recruitment content. Both companies said they removed the material identified by HRW and emphasized measures against the recruitment and exploitation of minors.
The findings highlight growing concerns over armed groups using social media to reach vulnerable children in Colombia’s conflict-affected regions.
