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A whistleblower has told a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure classified equipment permitting Afghanistan's rulers to identify Afghans who worked with western forces.

Data Breach Endangers Thousands at Risk

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

Lawmakers are investigating the Conservative government's response of a serious breach of personal details concerning nearly 19,000 individuals who had asked to come to the United Kingdom to avoid the regime.

The Information Breach Was Discovered

A data file including private information, comprising names, phone numbers and sometimes family information, was inadvertently disclosed by a staff member employed at British military command in February 2022.

The leak was discovered only in August 2023, when the names of multiple applicants who had applied to relocate to Britain surfaced on Facebook.

Militant Technology

It appears there is this misconception that Afghan rulers do not have similar capabilities that western nations possess,” Person A informed the committee.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they possess it. Once they acquire a contact number, they can locate your exact position. That's precisely what specialized teams accomplished.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, the source declared: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Security Lapse

Early investigations submitted to the committee indicated that approximately fifty family members and co-workers of Afghans affected by the breach had been executed.

A legal restriction concerning the breach was put in force in last year and prevented any information concerning it from being made public until July 2025.

Safety Measures

Due to legal constraints, Person A and the volunteer organization she was working with advised individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been compromised”.

“We advised that they moved where feasible and altered their contact details. These represented the crucial data that, if the Taliban had access to this information, would result in identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Challenged Assessments

Person A contested that government assessment carried out by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to determine that the possession of the records by the regime was “minimally impact present danger”.

“The important fact is that these individuals are not standing up to the Taliban; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”

She detailed terrible abuse suffered by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, waterboarding, and violent assaults.

“We have had young kids who have had bones crushed to try to get the family to say where someone is,” Person A stated.