UK's Secret Data Leak Puts Lives at Risk

A serious mistake by the UK government has put lives in danger. Almost 19,000 Afghans who worked with the British during the 20-year war in Afghanistan had their data leaked. This data included secret personal information of over 100 British officials, such as special forces and MI6 agents.

The Leak and Its Discovery

• The leak happened in February 2022, but the government only found out in August 2023 when someone in Afghanistan posted part of the data on Facebook.
• The person even threatened to release the rest unless the government helped him come to the UK.
• The government did help him, which some people called "blackmail."

The Severity of the Leak

• The data leak was so serious that the government tried to keep it secret with a "super-injunction," a type of court order that stops people from talking about it.
• A judge later allowed some information to be revealed.
• The leak could put thousands of Afghans at risk of harm or even death from the Taliban.
• The Taliban is looking for people who worked with the British government during the war.

Government Response and Resettlement Scheme

• The government has set up a resettlement scheme to help those affected, but they have not told them about the breach.
• The leak happened because someone at the UK Special Forces headquarters in London sent more than 30,000 resettlement applications to the wrong person.
• They thought they were only sending data on 150 people.
• The government has not said how many people in Afghanistan may have been harmed because of the leak.
• The Taliban government said they have not arrested or monitored Afghans affected by the leak.
• But relatives of those named in the leak are still worried about their family members in Afghanistan.

Apology and Future Steps

• The government has apologized for the leak, calling it a "serious departmental error."
• They have also said they take the security of their personnel very seriously.
• The resettlement scheme has already helped 4,500 Afghans and their family members move to the UK, with another 2,400 expected.
• The total cost of the scheme is estimated to be £850m.