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A whistleblower has revealed an official investigation that the UK failed to secure confidential technology enabling the Taliban to track down Afghans who worked with western forces.

Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk

Person A, called Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the data leak were told to change residences and alter their contact details to ensure their safety from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are investigating official handling of a serious disclosure of private information concerning approximately 19k individuals who had asked to move to the United Kingdom to escape the regime.

The Information Breach Was Discovered

An electronic document including private information, comprising names, addresses and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by a worker working at UK special forces headquarters in last year.

The incident came to light months later, when details of nine people who had applied to settle in Britain appeared on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

It appears there is a misunderstanding that Afghan rulers are without the same sort of facilities that we have,” she told MPs.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have mobile details, they are able to track your precise location. That is what intelligence groups accomplished.”

When questioned about regarding if authorities had access to necessary encryption, Person A declared: “They've got everything.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Early investigations submitted to the committee estimated that at least 49 relatives and associates of individuals impacted by the incident had been murdered.

A gag order regarding the leak was enacted in August 2023 and prevented all details concerning it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, the whistleblower and the aid group she collaborated with advised individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“Our suggestion was that they relocate where feasible and changed their phone numbers. These represented the primary information that, should militant forces acquired this information, would result in identification and capture,” she said.

Challenged Assessments

The whistleblower argued that government assessment carried out by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to conclude that the obtaining of the information by militant forces was “minimally impact an individual's existing exposure”.

“The crucial point is that these individuals are in hiding from the Taliban; they live secretly. The primary issue involves past work history.”

Person A described terrible violence suffered by affected individuals, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and severe beatings.

“We have had four-year-old children who have had bones crushed to pressure relatives to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.