Afghan Rulers Utilized Left-Behind UK Technology to Find Local Nationals Who Worked Alongside Allied Forces, Inquiry Is Told
A whistleblower has revealed an official investigation that the UK failed to secure confidential technology allowing Afghanistan's rulers to identify Afghans who collaborated with western forces.
Information Leak Puts Numerous in Danger
Person A, identified as Person A, stated that people concerned by the information breach were advised to move homes and switch their phone numbers to protect themselves from the ruling authorities.
MPs are looking into the UK government's management of a massive disclosure of confidential data affecting almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had asked to relocate to the UK to escape the Taliban.
How the Leak Happened
A spreadsheet with their personal data, including identities, contact details and sometimes household data, was mistakenly released by a worker stationed at special operations center in February 2022.
The breach came to light in late 2023, when the names of multiple applicants who had sought to settle in the UK appeared on online platforms.
Regime's Resources
It appears there is a misunderstanding that militant forces lack similar capabilities that allied forces use,” Person A informed the committee.
All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have mobile details, they can trace you down to within metres. That is what specialized teams achieved.”
When questioned about regarding if authorities had access to advanced decryption, the whistleblower confirmed: “They have complete capability.”
Impact of the Data Breach
Initial findings submitted to the investigation suggested that at least 49 kin and co-workers of people concerned by the leak had been executed.
A gag order about the leak was enacted in August 2023 and prevented all details about it from media reporting until mid-2025.
Safety Measures
Because she was restricted, the source and the volunteer organization she collaborated with told Afghan families they were working with that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been intercepted”.
“We recommended that they relocate when possible and altered their mobile numbers. That constituted the crucial data that, if the Taliban acquired this information, would result in identification and capture,” Person A explained.
Challenged Assessments
The source disputed that an official review carried out by a retired civil servant had been wrong to determine that the acquisition of the records by militant forces was “not significantly alter present danger”.
“The crucial point is that these individuals are in hiding from militant forces; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to former occupations.”
Person A described horrific treatment experienced by affected individuals, including electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.
“There are cases of young kids who have had bones crushed to force relatives to disclose hiding places,” Person A stated.
