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A whistleblower has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities failed to secure confidential technology allowing the Taliban to track down Afghans that had served with international military.

Data Breach Puts Thousands at Risk

The source, identified as Person A, testified that individuals impacted by the information breach were told to change residences and change their phone numbers to protect themselves from militant forces.

MPs are investigating the Conservative government's management of a catastrophic leak of confidential data involving approximately 19k individuals who had applied to move to the United Kingdom to flee the Taliban.

Data Disclosure Was Discovered

An electronic document containing private information, such as identities, phone numbers and in some cases relative details, was mistakenly released by a worker working at British military command in February 2022.

The leak was discovered only in August 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had requested to move to Britain were posted on Facebook.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban lack the same sort of facilities that we have,” the whistleblower testified to lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have your phone number, they can trace you down to within metres. That is what the unit did.”

During testimony about regarding if authorities owned necessary encryption, the source confirmed: “They have complete capability.”

Impact of the Security Lapse

Preliminary research provided to the investigation suggested that at least 49 family members and co-workers of people concerned by the breach had been murdered.

A legal restriction concerning the breach was put in force in August 2023 and prevented all details about it from being made public until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Because she was restricted, the source and the non-governmental organization associated with informed individuals at risk they were assisting that they had “apprehensions that mobile communications had been breached”.

“We advised that they moved where feasible and altered their contact details. That constituted the two main details that, if authorities acquired such data, would lead to their location being found,” she said.

Disputed Conclusions

The source argued that an official review carried out by an ex-government employee had been wrong to state that the obtaining of the records by the regime was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The thing to remember is that these individuals are in hiding from militant forces; they remain concealed. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”

She detailed horrific treatment endured by concerned people, involving electric shock torture, waterboarding, and severe beatings.

“Instances include four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to force households to say where someone is,” Person A stated.