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A confidential source has told a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure confidential devices allowing the militant group to track down local individuals who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Thousands at Risk

The whistleblower, known as Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the data leak were told to relocate and change their mobile numbers to avoid detection from the ruling authorities.

Members of Parliament are investigating the Conservative government's response of a serious leak of personal details concerning approximately 19k Afghans who had asked to come to the United Kingdom to escape militant rule.

How the Leak Occurred

A data file with their personal data, comprising identities, addresses and sometimes family information, was inadvertently disclosed by an official working at special operations center in February 2022.

The incident was discovered only in August 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had sought to settle in Britain were posted on online platforms.

Regime's Resources

Many believe there's a misunderstanding that militant forces do not have similar capabilities that we have,” she told the committee.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain mobile details, they are able to track your exact position. That is what the unit achieved.”

Under inquiry about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, Person A declared: “They possess all resources.”

Consequences of the Information Leak

Initial findings presented to the inquiry indicated that at least 49 family members and colleagues of people concerned by the leak had been killed.

A legal restriction about the incident was put in force in August 2023 and prevented all details regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Due to legal constraints, the source and the aid group she was working with informed Afghan families they were assisting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they change residence where feasible and switched their mobile numbers. These represented the crucial data that, if authorities had access to this information, would result in identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Disputed Conclusions

The whistleblower contested that government assessment conducted by a retired civil servant had been incorrect to conclude that the acquisition of the dataset by the regime was “unlikely to substantially change an individual's existing exposure”.

“The crucial point is that affected people are not standing up to militant forces; they live secretly. Everything boils down to their previous employment.”

The source explained terrible abuse suffered by at-risk Afghans, including electrocution, simulated drowning, and violent assaults.

“There are cases of four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to try to get households to reveal locations,” she testified.