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A confidential source has told an official investigation that the UK abandoned confidential technology enabling the Taliban to track down local individuals who worked with international military.

Data Breach Endangers Thousands in Danger

Person A, called Person A, explained that individuals impacted by the information breach were instructed to move homes and change their phone numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are looking into official management of a catastrophic disclosure of confidential data concerning nearly 19,000 Afghans who had asked to move to Britain to escape the Taliban.

Data Disclosure Happened

A data file with confidential details, comprising identities, phone numbers and in some cases household data, was accidentally leaked by a staff member working at British military command in February 2022.

The breach came to light only in August 2023, when details of several individuals who had sought to settle in the UK appeared on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

It appears there is this misconception that the Taliban do not have the same sort of facilities that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to MPs.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire a contact number, they can locate you down to within metres. This is exactly how intelligence groups accomplished.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, Person A stated: “They possess all resources.”

Aftermath of the Security Lapse

Preliminary research provided to the inquiry estimated that no fewer than forty-nine kin and associates of Afghans affected by the leak had been killed.

A legal restriction regarding the breach was implemented in late 2023 and restricted relevant facts about it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Safety Measures

Given injunction limitations, the source and the non-governmental organization she collaborated with told affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they relocate where feasible and switched their mobile numbers. These represented the two main details that, if authorities obtained this information, would result in identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

The whistleblower contested that government assessment performed by a former official had been wrong to determine that the acquisition of the information by the regime was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The crucial point is that these individuals are not standing up to the authorities; they are in hiding. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

She detailed disturbing abuse experienced by at-risk Afghans, comprising electrocution, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.

“Instances include young kids who have had limbs fractured to force households to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.