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A whistleblower has disclosed an official investigation that the UK left behind classified technology permitting Afghanistan's rulers to track down local individuals who worked with allied troops.

Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk

The source, called Person A, explained that people concerned by the data leak were told to move homes and switch their phone numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.

MPs are investigating the UK government's handling of a catastrophic breach of private information involving nearly 19,000 Afghans who had asked to move to the United Kingdom to flee the Taliban.

The Information Breach Occurred

A spreadsheet with their personal data, including identities, addresses and occasionally relative details, was mistakenly released by a worker employed at British military command in last year.

The breach came to light only in August 2023, when details of nine people who had requested to settle in Britain appeared on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban do not have the same sort of facilities that we have,” the whistleblower testified to lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain a contact number, they can locate your precise location. That is what the unit accomplished.”

When questioned about regarding if authorities possessed necessary encryption, Person A declared: “They have complete capability.”

Aftermath of the Data Breach

Initial findings provided to the investigation estimated that at least 49 relatives and associates of individuals impacted by the incident had been murdered.

A legal restriction concerning the incident was put in force in August 2023 and prevented any information about it from being made public until July 2025.

Protective Actions

Due to legal constraints, the whistleblower and the volunteer organization she was working with advised individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been breached”.

“We advised that they change residence where feasible and switched their phone numbers. These represented the two main details that, if the Taliban had access to these details, would lead to their location being found,” the source testified.

Contested Findings

The source disputed that government assessment carried out by a former official had been incorrect to conclude that the obtaining of the dataset by the regime was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these individuals are in hiding from militant forces; they are in hiding. The primary issue involves past work history.”

She detailed terrible violence suffered by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had limbs fractured to force the family to disclose hiding places,” Person A stated.