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A whistleblower has told an official investigation that British authorities failed to secure confidential equipment permitting the Taliban to identify Afghans that had served with international military.

Data Breach Endangers Numerous in Danger

Person A, identified as Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the information breach were told to relocate and switch their phone numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are investigating the Conservative government's response of a serious leak of personal details involving almost nineteen thousand individuals who had applied to move to the UK to escape militant rule.

The Information Breach Happened

An electronic document containing their personal data, comprising names, contact details and in some cases household data, was mistakenly released by an official employed at British military command in last year.

The leak was discovered in late 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had applied to relocate to Britain appeared on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

It appears there is a misunderstanding that militant forces lack similar capabilities that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to MPs.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain your phone number, they can trace your exact position. This is exactly how specialized teams achieved.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban owned advanced decryption, the whistleblower stated: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Data Breach

Initial findings submitted to the investigation indicated that at least 49 family members and co-workers of people concerned by the breach had been murdered.

A superinjunction about the incident was implemented in last year and prevented any information regarding the matter from public disclosure until mid-2025.

Safety Measures

Because she was restricted, the source and the volunteer organization associated with told affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been compromised”.

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

Disputed Conclusions

The source argued that government assessment carried out by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to conclude that the obtaining of the records by the Taliban was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The important fact is that affected people are in hiding from the Taliban; they live secretly. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”

Person A described disturbing treatment suffered by affected individuals, comprising electrocution, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.

“Instances include young kids who have had their arms broken to force the family to reveal locations,” she testified.