US EditionRebels in Colombia are recruiting youth on social media. The UN wants TikTok and Facebook to do more
- Scott Campbell, who leads the United Nations' human rights efforts in Colombia, highlighted in 2025 that armed groups are increasingly using platforms like Facebook and TikTok to recruit young people.
- This recruitment surge stems from intensified fighting and a power vacuum in rural areas like Cauca, where gangs and rebels compete for control after FARC's 2016 peace agreement.
- Rebels glamorize their ranks with videos targeting marginalized youth, offering money and gifts, while social media companies struggle to moderate content effectively in the global south.
- Colombia’s Human Rights Ombudsman reported that last year, rebel groups enlisted 409 minors under the age of 18, which is double the number recorded in 2023. Meanwhile, Campbell highlighted that companies are not adequately funding content moderation efforts in the region.
- The United Nations urges Meta and TikTok to enhance cooperation, increase moderation resources, and share account data with prosecutors to combat illegal recruitment content online.
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Associated Press News
Rebels in Colombia are recruiting youth on social media. The UN wants TikTok and Facebook to do more
The United Nations says rebel groups in Colombia are using apps like Facebook and Tik Tok to recruit children and young adults, and social media companies must do more to moderate content.
Netherlands joins Europol taskforce against criminal recruitment of teenagers
The European police service Europol is launching a major offensive to combat criminals recruiting teenagers online to commit violent crimes. Criminal organizations are increasingly using online platforms to reach children, whom they use as “cannon fodder,” Andy Kraag, the Dutch Europol chief of detectives, told the Telegraaf. The Netherlands has joined the task force.
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