Facebook and TikTok failed to prevent the spread of content produced by Colombian armed groups to recruit children and in some cases even “appeared to promote these posts,” Human Rights Watch reported on Monday. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the circulation of social media content by armed groups “glorifies life in armed group ranks” and promotes “deceptive job offers.” Since 2021, around 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups, according to HRW. Armed groups use children for combat, handling weapons, drones and explosives, and intelligence gathering, the HRW report said. In some cases, it said, children without combat training are used as “cannon fodder.” According to the report, almost half of child recruits are Indigenous children, despite Indigenous people only representing around four per cent of the population. Girls account for around 40 per cent of child recruits, and are “particularly exposed to sexual violence.” In the report, HRW described social media posts showing members of armed groups flaunting wads of cash and jewelry. In other posts, they appear in training camps or listening to “narcocorridos” -- a Mexican music genre which celebrates the exploits of infamous drug traffickers. In the comments sections, some users asked how they could join. HRW said that dissident groups that emerged from the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been responsible for 74 per cent of child recruitment cases documented between 2021 and 2025. HRW said it had informed Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and TikTok’s owner ByteDance of the problem. Both said they had removed the specific content mentioned. Meta said it “constantly strives to refine (its) approach to combating it across (its) platforms.” TikTok said it “proactively (prevents) illegal armed groups and organized criminal groups from using TikTok, including to target, exploit or recruit minors.” The historic 2016 peace agreement ended a half-century of war between the government and the FARC guerrilla group, but remaining armed groups continue to control large swaths of territory in remote parts of the northeast and south. Newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella has vowed to crack down on armed groups and plans to forge a military alliance with the United States and Israel.
