Taliban utilized British technology to track down Afghans who collaborated with UK troops

A whistleblower has informed the Afghan data leak inquiry that the Taliban exploited technology left behind by the UK to track Afghans who collaborated with Western forces. Known only as Person A, the witness reported that Afghan special forces members and others had to flee their homes to escape Taliban assassination squads.

Those who had assisted British troops in operations against the Taliban were forced to change their phone numbers to avoid detection, the case worker stated, as the militants now had the capability to locate them through the abandoned technology.

Person A was the first to alert the UK Government to a major data leak, where the details of approximately 33,000 individuals were exposed online after a Royal Marine accidentally shared them in April 2022. The issue only became public in August 2023. Following this mistake, nearly 24,000 Afghan soldiers and their families were secretly offered asylum.

The Government allocated 7 billion to bring these individuals to Britain over five years under the Afghanistan Response Route program. Person A told MPs in a closed session on November 18, whose transcript was released Friday: There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban do not have the same kind of facilities that we have. We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have your phone number, they can locate you precisely.

Conservative MP Jesse Norman questioned whether the Taliban possessed encryption and decryption technology. Person A confirmed: Theyve got everything. She added that the UK had indeed left behind sensitive materials that the Taliban were now using against former allies.

After Kabul fell in 2021, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and reportedly accessed the Ministry of Defence database following the February 2022 leak. MPs are investigating the incident, which has been linked to the deaths of 49 family members and colleagues of those affected.

Person A contacted then-Tory armed forces minister James Heappey on August 15, 2023, warning: The Taliban may now hold a 33,000-strong kill list provided by the UK government. She emphasized that the Government could be held responsible if any of these families were killed. Initially, her concerns went unanswered by Heappeys office, but she did receive a reply from Labours Luke Pollard.

A super-injunction issued in August 2023 blocked any public disclosure of the leak until July 2025, limiting Person As ability to warn the Afghans at risk. Person A described having to conceal the injunction from those she sought to protect, which she said was morally difficult.

She told the inquiry that specific Taliban units were actively hunting individuals affiliated with the UK. Many Afghans feared they would be captured and executed, with some feeling abandoned after waiting years for evacuation. They expressed disappointment, recalling promises from the UK government to move heaven and earth for their safety.

On how the Government could have avoided the crisis, Person A suggested that a Foreign Office team should have been assigned to manage the Afghan resettlement scheme, which could have prevented the data breach.

An MoD spokesperson stated that the independent Rimmer review concluded it was highly unlikely that being on the leaked spreadsheet alone would have made individuals targets.

Analysis: The Aftermath of the Afghan Data Leak and Its Consequences

The recent revelations from a whistleblower, Person A, highlight the devastating impact of a data leak that has put thousands of Afghan lives at risk. The leak, which exposed the details of 33,000 individuals who had assisted UK forces, underscores the grave security lapse that followed the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban, now in control of the country, have reportedly exploited the technology left behind by the UK to target former allies with deadly precision.

Person A’s testimony sheds light on the serious flaws in the UK’s handling of sensitive information. Afghan soldiers, special forces members, and their families have been forced to flee their homes, change their contact details, and live in constant fear of being tracked down by Taliban assassination squads. The situation, compounded by a super-injunction limiting the public disclosure of the leak, has left many individuals in a state of limbo, with little recourse for safety or resettlement.

Moreover, the government's delayed response to the crisis raises questions about its preparedness and accountability. Despite initial warnings from Person A, it was only after the leak became public in August 2023 that concrete steps were taken to offer asylum to those affected. However, the damage was already done—many individuals have already paid the ultimate price, and the UK’s promises of protection ring hollow in the face of these tragic losses.

The inquiry into the leak, including investigations into the involvement of the Ministry of Defence and the British military’s role in leaving behind sensitive materials, is ongoing. Yet, the tragic outcome is undeniable: 49 family members and colleagues of those affected have already been killed. The question remains: How could the UK have avoided this crisis, and what lessons can be learned to prevent similar failures in the future?

Ultimately, this situation is a stark reminder of the dangers of mishandling sensitive information during wartime. The consequences of the leak serve as a cautionary tale about the importance of safeguarding data, ensuring proper security measures are in place, and prioritizing the safety of those who risked their lives to assist foreign forces.

Sources:

• Taliban used UK tech to hunt Afghans who worked with British troops