Colombian gangs are using social media to recruit children, the U.N. warns

Colombian gangs are using social media to reach and recruit children, the United Nations has warned.

Gangs and rebel groups are enticing children to enlist by posting videos on platforms like TikTok and Facebook that showcase the “perks” of the lifestyle. Some clips promise money, mobile phones, and, in some cases, cosmetic surgery, according to Scott Campbell, Colombia’s representative for the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

“It’s horrific, toxic, and ugly. Illegal groups are using social media to lure girls and boys into their ranks, which is increasing violence across the country and strengthening narco trafficking,” Campbell told The Guardian. Other social media posts featured “parties in clubs, designer clothes, and heavy weapons,” added Elizabeth Dickinson, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.

Although the recruitment of children into gangs is not new, the expansive reach of social media is intensifying the issue. In the first quarter of 2025, the U.N. Human Rights Council reported 118 allegations of recruitment or use of children, verifying 51 of them. The International Crisis Group recently warned that the rate of child recruitment has reached its highest level in more than a decade.

Experts have called for greater investment in both automated tools and human moderators to remove these videos from social media and protect children targeted online, especially those from marginalized communities.

“We ban dangerous organizations tied to terrorism and criminal organizations while supporting law enforcement efforts globally to combat them, including in their efforts to recruit children,” a Meta spokesperson told Fast Company. “This is an adversarial space, which is why we also collaborate with other companies to share information and take action against these evolving threats across the internet.”

TikTok has also been working to identify and remove content and accounts that violate its community guidelines on this issue. The platform says it is collaborating closely with authorities and local entities, including the National Police of Colombia, National Army of Colombia, and CIPRUNNA (a group dedicated to preventing the recruitment and use of children and adolescents by illegal armed groups and organized criminal groups).

The U.N. has described the situation as a matter of “grave concern.” Experts warn that more action is still needed. Campbell told The Guardian: “If children were being recruited into illegal groups in London or Silicon Valley, social media companies would be putting huge resources into this.”

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