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A whistleblower has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK left behind sensitive equipment enabling the Taliban to identify Afghans who collaborated with western forces.

Data Breach Puts Numerous in Danger

The source, identified as Person A, testified that people concerned by the information breach were instructed to relocate and alter their contact details to avoid detection from the Taliban.

MPs are investigating official management of a massive disclosure of confidential data concerning approximately 19k Afghans who had requested to move to Britain to escape militant rule.

Data Disclosure Happened

An electronic document including confidential details, including identities, addresses and sometimes relative details, was mistakenly released by a worker working at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The leak was discovered months later, when identities of multiple applicants who had applied to relocate to the UK surfaced on online platforms.

Militant Technology

“There seems to be a false assumption that Afghan rulers are without similar capabilities that we have,” she told lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire a contact number, they can locate your exact position. That's precisely what specialized teams achieved.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban possessed necessary encryption, Person A declared: “They've got everything.”

Consequences of the Information Leak

Early investigations provided to the inquiry suggested that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of people concerned by the leak had been killed.

A superinjunction regarding the breach was enacted in August 2023 and prevented any information regarding the matter from media reporting until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the volunteer organization she was working with told Afghan families they were working with that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been compromised”.

“We advised that they relocate where feasible and altered their phone numbers. Those were the crucial data that, should militant forces had access to these details, would lead to their location being found,” the source testified.

Contested Findings

Person A contested that an official review conducted by a former official had been incorrect to determine that the possession of the information by militant forces was “minimally impact present danger”.

“The thing to remember is that these individuals are not confronting the authorities; they remain concealed. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”

She detailed horrific violence experienced by affected individuals, including electrocution, waterboarding, and violent assaults.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had their arms broken to pressure households to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.