Facebook and TikTok promoted Colombian armed groups’ child‑recruitment content, says Human Rights Watch

On August 24, Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that Facebook and TikTok had allowed the dissemination of content from Colombian armed groups aimed at recruiting children, with some posts even seeming to endorse these efforts, according to a report. The circulation of such social media materials by armed groups "glorifies life within these groups" and promotes "deceptive employment opportunities," the HRW noted.

Between 2021 and 2025, approximately 1,500 Colombian children were recruited by these groups, according to HRW. The armed factions utilize minors for fighting, weapon handling, drone operations, explosives management, and intelligence gathering. In certain instances, children lacking combat experience are deployed as "cannon fodder."

Roughly half of the child recruits are Indigenous, even though Indigenous individuals constitute only about four percent of the population. Girls account for around 40 percent of these recruits, placing them at heightened risk of sexual violence. HRW's report highlighted social media posts showcasing armed group members displaying large sums of money and jewelry, others depicting them in training camps, and others featuring them listening to "narcocorridos" — a Mexican music genre that celebrates the deeds of notorious drug traffickers.

Comments sections featured users inquiring about how to join. HRW reported that dissident factions stemming from the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were responsible for 74 percent of the child recruitment cases documented between 2021 and 2025. The organization had alerted Meta, Facebook's parent entity, and TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, about the issue.

Both companies stated they had removed the specific content in question. Meta affirmed its ongoing efforts to enhance its strategies for countering this problem across its platforms, while TikTok claimed it "proactively prevents illegal armed groups and organized criminal groups from leveraging TikTok to target, exploit, or recruit minors."

The historic 2016 peace agreement concluded a five-decade conflict between the government and the FARC guerrilla organization. However, the report emphasized that these illicit groups continue to dominate significant territories in the remote northeastern and southern regions of Colombia. Newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella has pledged to combat armed groups more aggressively and intends to establish a military partnership with the United States and Israel.