🔗 Share this article Afghan Rulers Utilized Discarded British Technology to Track Down Local Nationals That Served With Western Forces, Investigation Hears An informant has told a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure sensitive devices enabling the Taliban to locate Afghans who worked with western forces. Information Leak Endangers Thousands at Risk Person A, called Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the information breach were instructed to change residences and alter their mobile numbers to protect themselves from the ruling authorities. Members of Parliament are investigating official management of a serious leak of private information affecting approximately 19k individuals who had asked to come to Britain to escape the regime. Data Disclosure Occurred An electronic document with their personal data, including names, addresses and occasionally family information, was accidentally leaked by a worker stationed at UK special forces headquarters in last year. The breach became known months later, when identities of several individuals who had requested to relocate to Britain were posted on online platforms. Regime's Resources Many believe there's a false assumption that the Taliban are without the same sort of facilities that we have,” Person A informed MPs. “We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have mobile details, they are able to track you down to within metres. That is what specialized teams achieved.” When questioned about if militant forces owned sophisticated technology, Person A stated: “They have complete capability.” Aftermath of the Security Lapse Preliminary research presented to the inquiry indicated that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of individuals impacted by the incident had been executed. A gag order about the incident was enacted in last year and blocked any information regarding the matter from media reporting until recently. Safety Measures Due to legal constraints, Person A and the volunteer organization she was working with told Afghan families they were working with that they had “suspicions that somebody's phone had been breached”. “Our suggestion was that they relocate when possible and changed their contact details. These represented the two main details that, if the Taliban acquired such data, would lead to them being traced,” Person A explained. Disputed Conclusions The whistleblower argued that an official review performed by a former official had been incorrect to determine that the possession of the dataset by the Taliban was “unlikely to substantially change present danger”. “The important fact is that these Afghans are not confronting the Taliban; they live secretly. Everything boils down to past work history.” She detailed terrible treatment suffered by concerned people, comprising electrocution, simulated drowning, and violent assaults. “We have had toddlers who have had their arms broken to try to get households to disclose hiding places,” she testified.