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A confidential source has disclosed an official investigation that the UK abandoned confidential technology enabling the militant group to track down Afghans that had served with allied troops.

Information Leak Puts Numerous at Risk

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

MPs are currently examining official response of a serious leak of private information affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had requested to move to Britain to escape the Taliban.

The Information Breach Happened

An electronic document containing confidential details, including identities, contact details and sometimes household data, was mistakenly released by a staff member working at British military command in early 2022.

The incident came to light only in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to settle in Britain surfaced on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban lack similar capabilities that we have,” Person A informed lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. If they have your phone number, they are able to track your precise location. That is what intelligence groups achieved.”

Under inquiry about whether the Taliban had access to sophisticated technology, Person A confirmed: “They've got everything.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Preliminary research submitted to the committee suggested that approximately fifty family members and colleagues of Afghans affected by the leak had been murdered.

A legal restriction about the breach was put in force in last year and blocked all details regarding the matter from public disclosure until mid-2025.

Protective Actions

Due to legal constraints, Person A and the volunteer organization she collaborated with informed affected households they were supporting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been intercepted”.

“Our suggestion was that they moved where feasible and switched their phone numbers. Those were the crucial data that, if the Taliban had access to this information, would lead to identification and capture,” she said.

Challenged Assessments

The whistleblower disputed that an official review carried out by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to conclude that the possession of the information by the regime was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are not standing up to the Taliban; they live secretly. All concerns relate to former occupations.”

The source explained horrific violence experienced by at-risk Afghans, involving electrocution, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

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