Report: Armed groups recruit children on Facebook and TikTok

Human Rights Watch has reported that armed groups in Colombia are leveraging Facebook and TikTok to recruit children, a practice that the social media platforms have failed to effectively prevent. The report indicates that these platforms have not adequately detected or removed content aimed at child recruitment. In some instances, the algorithms may have even amplified these posts, thereby increasing the reach of armed groups.

Since 2021, an estimated 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups in Colombia. These children are used in combat, trained to handle weapons, drones, and explosives, and sometimes deployed as "cannon fodder" without prior combat training. The report highlights that nearly half of the recruited children belong to indigenous communities, despite these groups constituting only about four percent of Colombia's population. Girls represent approximately 40 percent of those recruited and are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.

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These platforms have not effectively discovered, removed or prevented such content. In some cases, it appeared that their algorithms promoted these posts, which most likely increased the reach of the armed groups.

Juanita Goebertus, director of Human Rights Watch's U.S. division, stated that digital platforms must acknowledge their role in child recruitment, which leads to the commission of crimes, including war crimes. Both Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, have reportedly stated that they have removed the specific content identified and are continuously working to prevent armed groups from recruiting children on their platforms.

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has pledged to take a strong stance against armed groups and is planning a military alliance with the United States and other nations. This report underscores the critical need for social media companies to enhance their content moderation and enforcement mechanisms to protect vulnerable populations from exploitation.

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Digital platforms must recognize that they are being used for child recruitment, which means they are being used to commit crimes, including war crimes.