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An informant has told a parliamentary probe that the UK left behind classified devices enabling the Taliban to identify local individuals who collaborated with western forces.

Data Breach Puts Thousands in Danger

Person A, called Person A, testified that individuals impacted by the data leak were told to change residences and change their contact details to avoid detection from the ruling authorities.

Members of Parliament are investigating official handling of a catastrophic disclosure of confidential data affecting approximately 19k Afghans who had requested to move to the United Kingdom to flee the Taliban.

How the Leak Happened

An electronic document including their personal data, comprising names, contact details and in some cases relative details, was inadvertently disclosed by a worker working at special operations center in last year.

The incident became known in late 2023, when the names of multiple applicants who had requested to relocate to Britain appeared on social media.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's a misunderstanding that the Taliban are without similar capabilities that western nations possess,” Person A informed lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire mobile details, they can locate you down to within metres. That's precisely what intelligence groups achieved.”

When questioned about if militant forces owned necessary encryption, Person A confirmed: “They possess all resources.”

Aftermath of the Information Leak

Preliminary research submitted to the committee indicated that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of Afghans affected by the incident had been murdered.

A legal restriction concerning the breach was implemented in last year and blocked any information regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.

Safety Measures

Because she was restricted, the whistleblower and the aid group associated with told affected households they were assisting that they had “suspicions that certain devices had been intercepted”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence when possible and changed their contact details. That constituted the crucial data that, if the Taliban obtained such data, would lead to their location being found,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

Person A argued that internal investigation carried out by a former official had been wrong to conclude that the acquisition of the records by the Taliban was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are not standing up to militant forces; they live secretly. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

The source explained terrible abuse experienced by at-risk Afghans, comprising electric shock torture, waterboarding, and severe beatings.

“Instances include toddlers who have had limbs fractured to force relatives to disclose hiding places,” the whistleblower revealed.