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An informant has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities failed to secure classified devices allowing the Taliban to track down Afghans who collaborated with western forces.

Data Breach Endangers Numerous in Danger

Person A, called Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the security lapse were instructed to relocate and alter their contact details to ensure their safety from militant forces.

MPs are looking into the Conservative government's response of a catastrophic leak of personal details affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to relocate to the UK to escape the Taliban.

Data Disclosure Occurred

A spreadsheet containing private information, including identities, phone numbers and occasionally household data, was accidentally leaked by a staff member employed at British military command in February 2022.

The breach was discovered in late 2023, when identities of several individuals who had sought to move to Britain were posted on online platforms.

Regime's Resources

Many believe there's a false assumption that Afghan rulers lack comparable resources that western nations possess,” the whistleblower testified to the committee.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have mobile details, they can trace your exact position. That's precisely what intelligence groups accomplished.”

When questioned about whether the Taliban had access to advanced decryption, the whistleblower confirmed: “They've got everything.”

Consequences of the Security Lapse

Preliminary research submitted to the investigation indicated that at least 49 family members and co-workers of people concerned by the breach had been killed.

A gag order regarding the incident was implemented in August 2023 and restricted relevant facts regarding the matter from media reporting until mid-2025.

Safety Measures

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the aid group associated with told Afghan families they were assisting that they had “suspicions that somebody's phone had been compromised”.

“We recommended that they moved where feasible and switched their phone numbers. That constituted the primary information that, should militant forces acquired such data, would lead to identification and capture,” she said.

Disputed Conclusions

Person A contested that government assessment conducted by an ex-government employee had been wrong to state that the possession of the records by militant forces was “not significantly alter present danger”.

“The thing to remember is that these Afghans are not standing up to the authorities; they live secretly. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”

The source explained terrible treatment experienced by at-risk Afghans, comprising electrocution, interrogation techniques, and physical abuse.

“We have had young kids who have had their arms broken to force the family to say where someone is,” she testified.