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A whistleblower has told a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure confidential equipment allowing Afghanistan's rulers to locate local individuals who collaborated with international military.

Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk

The source, called Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the security lapse were instructed to relocate and switch their phone numbers to ensure their safety from militant forces.

Members of Parliament are currently examining the Conservative government's response of a massive disclosure of confidential data affecting almost nineteen thousand individuals who had applied to come to Britain to escape militant rule.

How the Leak Happened

A spreadsheet containing confidential details, comprising identities, contact details and in some cases relative details, was accidentally leaked by an official stationed at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The breach came to light in late 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had sought to settle in the UK were posted on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be a false assumption that the Taliban do not have the same sort of facilities that we have,” Person A informed lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain mobile details, they can trace your precise location. This is exactly how specialized teams did.”

Under inquiry about whether the Taliban had access to necessary encryption, the whistleblower stated: “They've got everything.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Early investigations submitted to the inquiry indicated that at least 49 relatives and colleagues of people concerned by the breach had been executed.

A legal restriction concerning the leak was implemented in August 2023 and blocked any information concerning it from public disclosure until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the non-governmental organization associated with advised individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been breached”.

“We recommended that they relocate when possible and changed their phone numbers. These represented the two main details that, if the Taliban had access to such data, would cause them being traced,” she said.

Challenged Assessments

Person A contested that internal investigation performed by a retired civil servant had been wrong to conclude that the obtaining of the records by the Taliban was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are in hiding from militant forces; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”

Person A described disturbing treatment endured by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get households to say where someone is,” Person A stated.