Armed groups in Colombia are increasingly turning to TikTok, Facebook and other social media platforms to recruit children and teenagers, according to a disturbing new Human Rights Watch report released on August 24.

The number that stands out is 44%.

According to data from Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace cited in the report, 44% of children and adolescents recruited by armed groups in 2025 were recruited through social media.

Human Rights Watch says armed groups are using social media to make life inside their organizations appear attractive, showing weapons, uniforms, money, military-style activities and everyday life within the groups. Some posts also advertise deceptive job opportunities or encourage interested users to continue conversations through private messages.

Researchers reviewed 52 TikTok accounts and 37 TikTok posts that encouraged or normalized joining armed groups. Together, the accounts had more than 85,000 followers, with some individual videos receiving more than 250,000 views.

The problem extends beyond TikTok. Researchers also identified 20 Facebook accounts with more than 15,000 followers collectively that appeared to support armed groups or share their propaganda.

Even more concerning, Human Rights Watch says the social-media accounts used by its researchers were sometimes recommended additional content and profiles associated with armed groups, raising questions about whether recommendation algorithms can unintentionally amplify recruitment material.

The report comes as child recruitment in Colombia continues to rise. Human Rights Watch says the Ombudsman’s Office has documented at least 1,500 children recruited since 2021. Reported cases jumped from 342 in 2023 to 625 in 2024 — an increase of more than 80%.

Children are reportedly being promised money, power and social status. Some are later used in combat, surveillance and other roles, including operating drones.

TikTok and Meta told Human Rights Watch they prohibit this type of activity and have removed accounts identified by researchers. But HRW found that new accounts carrying similar material continued appearing after earlier accounts were removed.

The findings reveal how Colombia’s decades-long struggle with armed groups is moving onto a very different battlefield: the phones and social-media feeds of young people.