🔗 Share this article Afghan Rulers Employed Abandoned British Technology to Locate Afghans That Served Alongside Western Troops, Inquiry Learns A confidential source has revealed an official investigation that British authorities left behind classified technology allowing the Taliban to locate Afghans who worked with allied troops. Data Breach Puts Thousands in Danger Person A, known as Person A, stated that people concerned by the information breach were advised to move homes and switch their phone numbers to ensure their safety from militant forces. Members of Parliament are investigating the Conservative government's handling of a catastrophic leak of confidential data concerning almost nineteen thousand individuals who had asked to relocate to Britain to avoid the regime. The Information Breach Was Discovered A spreadsheet including their personal data, such as identities, phone numbers and occasionally relative details, was mistakenly released by a staff member employed at British military command in February 2022. The leak was discovered in late 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had requested to relocate to Britain appeared on online platforms. Regime's Resources “There seems to be a false assumption that militant forces do not have comparable resources that allied forces use,” the whistleblower testified to MPs. Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; they possess it. Once they acquire mobile details, they are able to track your precise location. That is what specialized teams achieved.” Under inquiry about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, the whistleblower declared: “They have complete capability.” Aftermath of the Information Leak Initial findings provided to the investigation suggested that approximately fifty kin and co-workers of Afghans affected by the incident had been executed. A legal restriction about the leak was implemented in late 2023 and restricted any information concerning it from media reporting until recently. Protective Actions Due to legal constraints, the source and the volunteer organization associated with informed affected households they were supporting that they had “apprehensions that somebody's phone had been intercepted”. “We advised that they change residence when possible and switched their phone numbers. These represented the primary information that, if authorities obtained this information, would result in them being traced,” the source testified. Contested Findings Person A argued that internal investigation carried out by an ex-government employee had been incorrect to conclude that the acquisition of the dataset by the Taliban was “not significantly alter current risk levels”. “The thing to remember is that these Afghans are not standing up to militant forces; they live secretly. Everything boils down to former occupations.” Person A described horrific treatment suffered by at-risk Afghans, comprising electric shock torture, waterboarding, and severe beatings. “There are cases of young kids who have had limbs fractured to try to get relatives to disclose hiding places,” Person A stated.