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An informant has told an official investigation that British authorities failed to secure classified technology permitting Afghanistan's rulers to identify Afghans that had served with international military.

Data Breach Endangers Thousands at Risk

The source, called Person A, stated that individuals impacted by the data leak were instructed to move homes and change their phone numbers to avoid detection from militant forces.

Lawmakers are currently examining the UK government's handling of a serious leak of private information concerning approximately 19k Afghans who had asked to move to the UK to flee the Taliban.

The Information Breach Occurred

A data file including private information, such as names, contact details and sometimes relative details, was inadvertently disclosed by an official stationed at British military command in early 2022.

The breach was discovered in late 2023, when details of nine people who had applied to settle in Britain surfaced on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be a misunderstanding that Afghan rulers do not have similar capabilities that western nations possess,” she told lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have mobile details, they are able to track your precise location. This is exactly how intelligence groups accomplished.”

During testimony about regarding if authorities had access to sophisticated technology, the source stated: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Security Lapse

Preliminary research provided to the inquiry suggested that at least 49 family members and associates of individuals impacted by the breach had been murdered.

A superinjunction regarding the leak was put in force in August 2023 and restricted any information about it from being made public until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, the source and the aid group she was working with informed individuals at risk they were working with that they had “suspicions that somebody's phone had been intercepted”.

“We recommended that they relocate where feasible and switched their phone numbers. That constituted the primary information that, if authorities obtained these details, would result in their location being found,” the source testified.

Challenged Assessments

The whistleblower argued that an official review carried out by a retired civil servant had been incorrect to conclude that the obtaining of the dataset by the regime was “minimally impact an individual's existing exposure”.

“The thing to remember is that these Afghans are not confronting the Taliban; they live secretly. All concerns relate to past work history.”

Person A described terrible treatment suffered by concerned people, comprising electrocution, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

“We have had toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get relatives to reveal locations,” she testified.