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A confidential source has disclosed the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK left behind classified technology allowing the militant group to track down local individuals that had served with international military.

Data Breach Endangers Numerous at Risk

The source, known as Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the data leak were told to move homes and switch their phone numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.

MPs are looking into official handling of a serious leak of confidential data involving approximately 19k individuals who had asked to move to the UK to flee the regime.

Data Disclosure Was Discovered

A data file including confidential details, such as identities, contact details and sometimes relative details, was accidentally leaked by a worker stationed at British military command in early 2022.

The incident came to light months later, when the names of multiple applicants who had applied to settle in the UK surfaced on Facebook.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's this misconception that the Taliban are without the same sort of facilities that western nations possess,” she told the committee.

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

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

Impact of the Data Breach

Preliminary research submitted to the investigation estimated that at least 49 family members and associates of Afghans affected by the breach had been executed.

A gag order about the leak was implemented in August 2023 and restricted any information regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, the whistleblower and the aid group associated with told affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“We recommended that they change residence when possible and altered their phone numbers. These represented the two main details that, if the Taliban obtained such data, would result in their location being found,” she said.

Challenged Assessments

Person A argued that an official review performed by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to determine that the acquisition of the dataset by militant forces was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.

“The important fact is that these individuals are not confronting militant forces; they remain concealed. The primary issue involves former occupations.”

The source explained horrific abuse suffered by concerned people, comprising electric shock torture, waterboarding, and physical abuse.

“There are cases of toddlers who have had bones crushed to pressure households to reveal locations,” the whistleblower revealed.