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An informant has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK failed to secure classified technology allowing Afghanistan's rulers to identify local individuals that had served with allied troops.

Data Breach Puts Numerous in Danger

The whistleblower, identified as Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the data leak were advised to move homes and switch their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are investigating official handling of a catastrophic breach of confidential data involving approximately 19k individuals who had asked to come to the United Kingdom to avoid the regime.

Data Disclosure Occurred

A spreadsheet including their personal data, such as names, contact details and occasionally household data, was inadvertently disclosed by a staff member employed at special operations center in February 2022.

The incident was discovered only in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to move to Britain were posted on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

It appears there is a misunderstanding that militant forces do not have similar capabilities that we have,” she told the committee.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have mobile details, they are able to track you down to within metres. That's precisely what specialized teams achieved.”

During testimony about regarding if authorities owned sophisticated technology, the whistleblower declared: “They've got everything.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Early investigations presented to the committee indicated that at least 49 family members and colleagues of people concerned by the incident had been executed.

A superinjunction regarding the breach was implemented in August 2023 and restricted any information concerning it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with told individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they relocate when possible and altered their mobile numbers. That constituted the primary information that, if authorities had access to such data, would cause identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

The source contested that an official review carried out by a retired civil servant had been wrong to state that the obtaining of the dataset by the Taliban was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The crucial point is that these Afghans are not standing up to the authorities; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to past work history.”

The source explained horrific abuse experienced by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and physical abuse.

“Instances include young kids who have had their arms broken to try to get households to disclose hiding places,” Person A stated.