Human Rights Watch says Colombian armed groups use social media—particularly Facebook and TikTok—to recruit children, including by circulating content that portrays armed-group life positively. HRW reports the material can include “glorifying” messaging and deceptive job offers aimed at drawing minors toward armed ranks.
HRW also says some children who are recruited are not trained for combat and are used as “cannon fodder.” The accounts described by HRW indicate that the groups share posts and videos that may help them reach wider audiences and present themselves in appealing or misleading ways.
Different outlets focus on particular aspects of the same claim. Free Malaysia Today highlights HRW’s findings about how social-media content “glorifies” armed life and includes “deceptive” offers. Courthouse News emphasizes HRW’s warning that children without combat training can be put into frontline roles. Both reports rely on the same HRW assessment about the role of major platforms in distributing recruitment-related content.
