Facebook and TikTok allegedly promoted content from armed groups to recruit children in Colombia

Facebook and TikTok are under scrutiny after Human Rights Watch (HRW) It was reported that content produced by Colombian armed groups to attract and recruit minors has circulated on both platforms and that, in some cases, social media algorithms appear to have contributed to its spread.

The HRW report indicates that approximately 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups in Colombia since 2021, according to data from the Ombudsman’s Office reviewed by the organization. This phenomenon has increased again in recent years, particularly in rural areas where poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and weak institutional presence persist.

The organization identified 72 accounts and 41 posts on Facebook and TikTok that, according to its analysis, glorified life within armed groups or encouraged minors to join these organizations. Some of the posts featured individuals who appeared to be minors and portrayed membership in these groups as an activity associated with power, money, prestige, or adventure.

HRW argues that the problem is not limited to the existence of this content. The organization states that the platforms’ recommendation systems “appear to actively promote” some of these posts, allowing them to reach more young users. The complaint once again puts the functioning of algorithms and the ability of technology companies to detect and remove material related to armed groups under scrutiny.

Child recruitment in Colombia is not a new phenomenon, but it has acquired new characteristics with the transformation of the conflict and the expansion of criminal groups and armed organizations that dispute territorial control.

According to HRW, children can be used as messengers, informants, cooks, or to gather information on security forces and other groups. However, the organization also documented cases in which children have been trained to operate drones loaded with explosives. Researchers noted that some children who managed to leave the groups described drone operation as a game used by recruiters to present a potentially lethal activity as attractive and entertaining.

Concern over this practice is growing due to the increasing use of drones in armed attacks. The Ombudsman’s Office recorded 121 drone attacks during the first five months of 2026, which left 21 people dead and 145 wounded.

Recruitment disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. According to HRW’s analysis, nearly half of the cases registered since 2021 involve Indigenous children, even though these communities represent only about 4% of the Colombian population. Girls, for their part, make up around 40% of recruited children and also face a high risk of sexual violence.

Human Rights Watch The organization conducted 184 interviews with public officials, humanitarian workers, Indigenous and community leaders, human rights organizations, and child protection officials to prepare its report. The organization maintains that the weakening of protection mechanisms and the presence of armed groups in rural areas have created favorable conditions for increased recruitment.

In light of this situation, HRW called on the Colombian government to strengthen prevention policies, increase resources allocated to protecting minors, and improve the prosecution of those involved in their recruitment. It also urged Facebook and TikTok to establish more accessible mechanisms for reporting content related to child recruitment and to preserve evidence that can be used later by law enforcement authorities.

Meta and TikTok responded to HRW that their policies prohibit content that promotes violence and noted that they have removed accounts identified by the organization. However, the report raises further questions about whether current measures are sufficient to prevent armed groups from using social media as a tool to directly target children and adolescents.

This case highlights how social media has become a new battleground for Colombian armed groups. For human rights organizations, preventing recruitment no longer depends solely on a state presence in the territories; it also requires intervention in digital spaces where minors can be identified, contacted, and exposed to content that presents joining armed groups as an attractive option.. 

Written by: Karen Rodríguez A.