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A whistleblower has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK left behind sensitive technology enabling the Taliban to identify Afghans that had served with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Numerous at Risk

The source, known as Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the information breach were told to change residences and change their mobile numbers to protect themselves from the ruling authorities.

Lawmakers are looking into the UK government's handling of a serious leak of private information affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had requested to come to Britain to escape the Taliban.

How the Leak Was Discovered

A data file including confidential details, comprising identities, phone numbers and sometimes household data, was mistakenly released by an official working at special operations center in early 2022.

The incident came to light months later, when details of several individuals who had applied to relocate to Britain were posted on Facebook.

Regime's Resources

Many believe there's this misconception that the Taliban do not have the same sort of facilities that we have,” she told MPs.

“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. This is exactly how specialized teams accomplished.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban had access to sophisticated technology, Person A declared: “They possess all resources.”

Aftermath of the Data Breach

Early investigations provided to the committee suggested that approximately fifty relatives and associates of people concerned by the leak had been murdered.

A legal restriction regarding the breach was enacted in last year and restricted all details about it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Safety Measures

Because she was restricted, the source and the non-governmental organization she collaborated with advised Afghan families they were assisting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been breached”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence if they could and changed their mobile numbers. These represented the two main details that, should militant forces obtained such data, would lead to their location being found,” the source testified.

Contested Findings

The whistleblower argued that government assessment carried out by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to state that the possession of the information by the Taliban was “unlikely to substantially change current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these Afghans are not standing up to the Taliban; they are in hiding. Everything boils down to past work history.”

She detailed horrific abuse endured by affected individuals, involving electrocution, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.

“We have had toddlers who have had bones crushed to try to get households to reveal locations,” she testified.