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An informant has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK abandoned confidential equipment enabling the militant group to identify local individuals that had served with allied troops.

Data Breach Puts Thousands at Risk

The whistleblower, called Person A, testified that individuals impacted by the information breach were told to change residences and alter their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are investigating the Conservative government's handling of a serious leak of personal details involving approximately 19k Afghans who had requested to come to the UK to flee militant rule.

How the Leak Happened

A spreadsheet including their personal data, comprising names, contact details and in some cases family information, was accidentally leaked by a worker stationed at British military command in early 2022.

The breach was discovered months later, when details of multiple applicants who had sought to relocate to the UK were posted on social media.

Regime's Resources

It appears there is this misconception that militant forces are without similar capabilities that western nations possess,” Person A informed MPs.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have mobile details, they can trace you down to within metres. That is what specialized teams accomplished.”

Under inquiry about regarding if authorities had access to advanced decryption, Person A confirmed: “They have complete capability.”

Consequences of the Security Lapse

Preliminary research provided to the committee indicated that at least 49 family members and co-workers of people concerned by the incident had been killed.

A legal restriction about the incident was implemented in late 2023 and restricted any information concerning it from public disclosure until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Because she was restricted, Person A and the aid group she was working with advised affected households they were working with that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“We recommended that they moved if they could and changed their phone numbers. These represented the crucial data that, if authorities obtained such data, would cause their location being found,” she said.

Disputed Conclusions

The source disputed that government assessment conducted by an ex-government employee had been incorrect to conclude that the obtaining of the dataset by the regime was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these Afghans are not confronting the Taliban; they live secretly. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”

She detailed terrible violence endured by concerned people, including electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and physical abuse.

“Instances include four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to try to get households to say where someone is,” she testified.