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A whistleblower has told an official investigation that British authorities failed to secure classified technology permitting the Taliban to identify local individuals who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Numerous at Risk

The source, known as Person A, stated that individuals impacted by the security lapse were instructed to move homes and change their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are currently examining the UK government's handling of a serious breach of private information concerning almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had requested to come to the United Kingdom to flee the regime.

The Information Breach Was Discovered

A data file including their personal data, such as names, phone numbers and in some cases household data, was inadvertently disclosed by an official employed at special operations center in early 2022.

The breach was discovered only in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to relocate to Britain were posted on social media.

Militant Technology

“There seems to be a misunderstanding that militant forces lack the same sort of facilities that we have,” Person A informed MPs.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. Should they obtain mobile details, they can trace you down to within metres. That's precisely what the unit accomplished.”

During testimony about regarding if authorities owned necessary encryption, the whistleblower confirmed: “They possess all resources.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Initial findings presented to the committee suggested that approximately fifty family members and associates of people concerned by the incident had been executed.

A legal restriction regarding the leak was put in force in last year and blocked any information about it from media reporting until July 2025.

Safety Measures

Due to legal constraints, Person A and the aid group she collaborated with advised Afghan families they were supporting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been compromised”.

“We recommended that they moved if they could and changed their contact details. Those were the crucial data that, should militant forces obtained this information, would cause their location being found,” she said.

Challenged Assessments

Person A disputed that an official review performed by an ex-government employee had been incorrect to determine that the possession of the records by the Taliban was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these Afghans are not confronting the authorities; they are in hiding. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”

The source explained horrific treatment endured by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and violent assaults.

“Instances include toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get households to reveal locations,” she testified.