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A whistleblower has told an official investigation that British authorities left behind classified technology permitting the militant group to locate Afghans who worked with allied troops.

Data Breach Puts Numerous at Risk

The whistleblower, known as Person A, stated that individuals impacted by the security lapse were told to change residences and switch their contact details to protect themselves from militant forces.

MPs are investigating official response of a serious breach of confidential data concerning nearly 19,000 individuals who had applied to relocate to Britain to flee the Taliban.

How the Leak Was Discovered

A data file containing private information, such as names, contact details and sometimes family information, was inadvertently disclosed by an official stationed at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The leak became known in late 2023, when the names of several individuals who had requested to move to the UK surfaced on Facebook.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's a false assumption that militant forces lack similar capabilities that western nations possess,” she told MPs.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire mobile details, they are able to track your exact position. This is exactly how intelligence groups accomplished.”

Under inquiry about regarding if authorities had access to necessary encryption, Person A confirmed: “They possess all resources.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Preliminary research submitted to the inquiry suggested that at least 49 kin and co-workers of individuals impacted by the incident had been killed.

A legal restriction regarding the incident was enacted in August 2023 and restricted relevant facts regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Because she was restricted, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with told individuals at risk they were working with that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been compromised”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence where feasible and changed their mobile numbers. These represented the primary information that, should militant forces acquired such data, would cause them being traced,” the source testified.

Disputed Conclusions

The whistleblower disputed that an official review performed by a former official had been wrong to state that the obtaining of the information by the Taliban was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these individuals are not confronting the authorities; they are in hiding. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”

She detailed terrible treatment experienced by concerned people, including electric shock torture, waterboarding, and physical abuse.

“Instances include four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to force households to say where someone is,” she testified.