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A confidential source has told a parliamentary probe that British authorities abandoned confidential equipment allowing Afghanistan's rulers to track down local individuals that had served with western forces.

Information Leak Endangers Numerous in Danger

The whistleblower, called Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the security lapse were advised to change residences and alter their contact details to avoid detection from the ruling authorities.

MPs are looking into official response of a serious breach of confidential data affecting almost nineteen thousand individuals who had applied to come to Britain to flee the Taliban.

How the Leak Was Discovered

An electronic document with their personal data, including identities, addresses and sometimes relative details, was mistakenly released by an official working at UK special forces headquarters in last year.

The breach came to light in late 2023, when identities of nine people who had sought to relocate to the UK were posted on social media.

Regime's Resources

It appears there is a false assumption that Afghan rulers are without comparable resources that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they have it. Once they acquire a contact number, they are able to track your precise location. This is exactly how intelligence groups achieved.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban owned sophisticated technology, the source stated: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Security Lapse

Early investigations submitted to the inquiry indicated that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of individuals impacted by the breach had been murdered.

A legal restriction concerning the leak was implemented in August 2023 and prevented relevant facts about it from public disclosure until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Given injunction limitations, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with informed affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that somebody's phone had been compromised”.

“We advised that they change residence when possible and changed their phone numbers. Those were the two main details that, if the Taliban acquired this information, would result in identification and capture,” the source testified.

Disputed Conclusions

The whistleblower disputed that internal investigation performed by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to determine that the possession of the dataset by the Taliban was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are not confronting militant forces; they live secretly. Everything boils down to past work history.”

She detailed horrific treatment suffered by affected individuals, involving electric shock torture, waterboarding, and severe beatings.

“There are cases of four-year-old children who have had limbs fractured to pressure relatives to reveal locations,” she testified.