What we know about what's happened

Details have emerged for the first time of an enormous accidental data breach by a British official in 2022 that put 100,000 Afghans at risk of torture and death.

- Esther Addley

The leaked dataset contained the personal details of 18,800 individuals who were applying for resettlement along with their family members, including phone numbers and some addresses.

It was discovered in August 2023 by an activist helping Afghans who had worked for UK forces. One of her contacts told her an anonymous member of a Facebook group had said he had the database and was threatening to post it. She immediately contacted the MoD.