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A whistleblower has disclosed a parliamentary probe that British authorities abandoned confidential devices allowing the Taliban to track down Afghans that had served with allied troops.

Information Leak Puts Numerous in Danger

The whistleblower, identified as Person A, testified that people concerned by the security lapse were instructed to relocate and switch their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the ruling authorities.

Members of Parliament are currently examining the UK government's handling of a massive disclosure of private information involving approximately 19k Afghans who had asked to relocate to Britain to escape the regime.

How the Leak Was Discovered

A spreadsheet including their personal data, including names, phone numbers and in some cases household data, was accidentally leaked by an official employed at British military command in February 2022.

The breach was discovered only in August 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had requested to move to the UK surfaced on social media.

Taliban Capabilities

It appears there is this misconception that militant forces do not have comparable resources that we have,” the whistleblower testified to MPs.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they possess it. If they have your phone number, they can locate your exact position. This is exactly how specialized teams did.”

Under inquiry about whether the Taliban owned necessary encryption, the whistleblower declared: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Data Breach

Initial findings presented to the investigation indicated that at least 49 relatives and co-workers of people concerned by the leak had been killed.

A superinjunction concerning the incident was put in force in late 2023 and blocked any information regarding the matter from public disclosure until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Because she was restricted, Person A and the non-governmental organization she collaborated with advised affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been breached”.

“We advised that they relocate if they could and switched their contact details. That constituted the crucial data that, if the Taliban had access to these details, would lead to identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Disputed Conclusions

Person A disputed that an official review performed by a former official had been incorrect to conclude that the possession of the information by the Taliban was “minimally impact an individual's existing exposure”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are not confronting the authorities; they live secretly. All concerns relate to past work history.”

She detailed terrible violence endured by concerned people, including electric shock torture, waterboarding, and physical abuse.

“There are cases of young kids who have had bones crushed to try to get households to reveal locations,” Person A stated.