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A confidential source has revealed the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities abandoned classified technology permitting Afghanistan's rulers to identify local individuals who worked with allied troops.

Data Breach Endangers Numerous at Risk

The whistleblower, called Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the data leak were told to move homes and switch their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from the Taliban.

Members of Parliament are looking into the UK government's handling of a catastrophic leak of private information affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had asked to move to Britain to avoid the regime.

The Information Breach Occurred

A spreadsheet containing their personal data, such as identities, addresses and sometimes relative details, was mistakenly released by a staff member employed at UK special forces headquarters in last year.

The breach became known only in August 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had requested to settle in Britain appeared on Facebook.

Regime's Resources

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

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. Should they obtain a contact number, they are able to track you down to within metres. That is what intelligence groups accomplished.”

Under inquiry about whether the Taliban had access to necessary encryption, the source stated: “They've got everything.”

Consequences of the Security Lapse

Early investigations submitted to the inquiry estimated that at least 49 family members and colleagues of people concerned by the breach had been killed.

A gag order about the incident was implemented in late 2023 and prevented relevant facts concerning it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Protective Actions

Due to legal constraints, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with told individuals at risk they were working with that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“Our suggestion was that they change residence where feasible and switched their phone numbers. These represented the crucial data that, if the Taliban had access to these details, would result in identification and capture,” she said.

Disputed Conclusions

The source contested that internal investigation conducted by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to determine that the acquisition of the dataset by the regime was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The important fact is that these individuals are not confronting the authorities; they live secretly. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

She detailed horrific abuse endured by concerned people, involving electrocution, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.

“We have had four-year-old children who have had bones crushed to pressure the family to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.