Facebook, Tik. Tok promoted Colombian armed groups' content to recruit children: HRW

Armed groups use children for combat, handling weapons, drones and explosives, and intelligence gathering, the HRW report said. In some cases, children without combat training are used as "cannon fodder," it said.

"Digital platforms must recognise that they are being used for the recruitment of children", which means they are being used to commit crimes, "including committing war crimes," HRW Americas director Juanita Goebertus Bogota.

Read:New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16According 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% 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 jewellery. In other posts, they appear in training camps or listening to "narcocorridos" -- a Mexican music genre which celebrates the exploits of infamous drug traffickers.

"What armed groups do really well on social media is to sell a lifestyle," Mathew Charles, founder of the Mi Historia foundation which works with child victims of conflict,. They project "tough-guy masculinity" and the possibility of earning "easy money," he said, calling on the state and other NGOs to combat "these lies and create counter-narratives.

"HRW said dissident groups that emerged from the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been responsible for 74% of child recruitment cases documented between 2021 and 2025. HRW said it had informed Meta, Facebook's parent company, and Tik.

Tok's owner Byte. Dance of the problem. Both said they had removed the specific content mentioned.

Meta said it "constantly strives to refine (its) approach to combating" child recruitment efforts across its platforms. Tik. Tok said it "proactively (prevents) illegal armed groups and organised criminal groups from using Tik.

Tok, including to target, exploit or recruit minors. "The historic 2016 peace agreement ended a half-century of war between the government and FARC guerrillas, but remaining armed groups continue to control large swaths of territory in remote parts of Colombia's 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.