🔗 Share this article

A whistleblower has disclosed the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities left behind sensitive technology allowing Afghanistan's rulers to identify local individuals who collaborated with western forces.

Information Leak Puts Thousands in Danger

Person A, identified as Person A, explained that individuals impacted by the data leak were instructed to change residences and change their contact details to ensure their safety from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are looking into the UK government's handling of a catastrophic disclosure of personal details concerning almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had requested to relocate to the United Kingdom to avoid the regime.

Data Disclosure Happened

A spreadsheet including private information, such as identities, contact details and sometimes household data, was mistakenly released by a staff member employed at British military command in last year.

The breach was discovered only in August 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had sought to relocate to Britain surfaced on online platforms.

Militant Technology

“There seems to be a misunderstanding that the Taliban are without similar capabilities that allied forces use,” Person A informed the committee.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they possess it. If they have a contact number, they can trace your precise location. This is exactly how the unit accomplished.”

Under inquiry about regarding if authorities had access to advanced decryption, the source declared: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Security Lapse

Early investigations submitted to the committee estimated that no fewer than forty-nine family members and co-workers of Afghans affected by the leak had been executed.

A gag order about the incident was enacted in late 2023 and restricted all details about it from being made public until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Because she was restricted, Person A and the non-governmental organization associated with advised affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“We advised that they relocate where feasible and changed their contact details. These represented the two main details that, if authorities had access to such data, would cause them being traced,” she said.

Disputed Conclusions

The source argued that internal investigation performed by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to conclude that the acquisition of the information by the regime was “unlikely to substantially change current risk levels”.

“The important fact is that these individuals are in hiding from the Taliban; they live secretly. The primary issue involves former occupations.”

Person A described disturbing abuse suffered by concerned people, including electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and physical abuse.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get households to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.