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A confidential source has told a parliamentary probe that British authorities failed to secure sensitive devices permitting the militant group to identify Afghans who collaborated with western forces.

Data Breach Puts Numerous at Risk

Person A, known as Person A, stated that people concerned by the information breach were told to relocate and change their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from militant forces.

MPs are investigating the UK government's management of a serious disclosure of private information concerning approximately 19k Afghans who had applied to come to Britain to escape the Taliban.

How the Leak Occurred

A data file including their personal data, including identities, addresses and occasionally household data, was accidentally leaked by a staff member employed at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The breach was discovered only in August 2023, when identities of nine people who had sought to move to the UK surfaced on Facebook.

Taliban Capabilities

Many believe there's a misunderstanding that Afghan rulers do not have comparable resources that western nations possess,” Person A informed MPs.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have a contact number, they are able to track you down to within metres. This is exactly how intelligence groups did.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban owned necessary encryption, the source stated: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Information Leak

Initial findings provided to the inquiry suggested that no fewer than forty-nine kin and associates of Afghans affected by the incident had been executed.

A superinjunction about the leak was implemented in late 2023 and blocked relevant facts about it from public disclosure until July 2025.

Protective Actions

Due to legal constraints, the source 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 where feasible and changed their contact details. These represented the primary information that, should militant forces obtained this information, would lead to identification and capture,” the source testified.

Contested Findings

The whistleblower disputed that internal investigation carried out by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to state that the acquisition of the records by militant forces was “minimally impact present danger”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are not standing up to the authorities; they are in hiding. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”

The source explained horrific violence experienced by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.

“Instances include four-year-old children who have had bones crushed to force households to say where someone is,” she testified.