Taliban Employed Abandoned British Technology to Find Afghans That Served With Western Forces, Investigation Is Told
A confidential source has disclosed a parliamentary probe that British authorities left behind classified technology permitting the Taliban to track down Afghans who collaborated with allied troops.
Data Breach Endangers Numerous in Danger
Person A, called Person A, explained that individuals impacted by the data leak were instructed to relocate and change their phone numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.
Lawmakers are investigating the Conservative government's handling of a serious breach of confidential data involving almost nineteen thousand individuals who had applied to relocate to the UK to escape militant rule.
The Information Breach Happened
A data file including their personal data, such as identities, phone numbers and occasionally family information, was inadvertently disclosed by a staff member employed at British military command in early 2022.
The leak became known months later, when identities of several individuals who had sought to move to Britain surfaced on online platforms.
Taliban Capabilities
It appears there is a false assumption that the Taliban lack comparable resources that we have,” she told lawmakers.
Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain mobile details, they can trace your exact position. This is exactly how the unit accomplished.”
When questioned about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, Person A stated: “They've got everything.”
Aftermath of the Data Breach
Initial findings presented to the committee estimated that at least 49 family members and co-workers of individuals impacted by the leak had been killed.
A legal restriction about the leak was put in force in late 2023 and restricted all details about it from being made public until mid-2025.
Safety Measures
Because she was restricted, the whistleblower and the non-governmental organization she was working with informed individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “concerns that certain devices had been compromised”.
“We advised that they relocate when possible and altered their mobile numbers. These represented the crucial data that, if authorities obtained such data, would result in identification and capture,” the source testified.
Disputed Conclusions
The source contested that government assessment conducted by a former official had been incorrect to conclude that the acquisition of the dataset by the regime was “not significantly alter present danger”.
“The important fact is that affected people are not standing up to the Taliban; they live secretly. The primary issue involves their previous employment.”
She detailed disturbing abuse suffered by affected individuals, including electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.
“Instances include toddlers who have had bones crushed to try to get relatives to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.
