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A confidential source has told an official investigation that the UK left behind confidential devices permitting Afghanistan's rulers to locate Afghans that had served with western forces.

Data Breach Endangers Thousands at Risk

The source, known as Person A, stated that individuals impacted by the data leak were told to change residences and change their contact details to ensure their safety from militant forces.

MPs are looking into the UK government's handling of a catastrophic leak of private information affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had asked to relocate to the UK to flee the Taliban.

The Information Breach Occurred

A spreadsheet including confidential details, such as identities, phone numbers and occasionally household data, was inadvertently disclosed by a worker stationed at special operations center in early 2022.

The incident became known in late 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had sought to move to the UK appeared on Facebook.

Regime's Resources

“There seems to be a misunderstanding that the Taliban lack comparable resources that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to the committee.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain your phone number, they can trace you down to within metres. That is what the unit accomplished.”

When questioned about regarding if authorities had access to advanced decryption, the source stated: “They've got everything.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Preliminary research presented to the inquiry estimated that approximately fifty family members and associates of individuals impacted by the incident had been killed.

A legal restriction about the leak was enacted in August 2023 and prevented all details regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the non-governmental organization associated with informed Afghan families they were assisting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been intercepted”.

“We recommended that they moved if they could and altered their phone numbers. Those were the two main details that, if authorities obtained these details, would result in them being traced,” she said.

Contested Findings

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

“The thing to remember is that these individuals are in hiding from militant forces; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

The source explained disturbing violence suffered by concerned people, involving electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and physical abuse.

“Instances include toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get households to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.