British defence ministry suspended over data breach in Afghanistan

A demonstrator holds an Afghan flag during the Save Afghanistan protest in Parliament Square, London, England, 17 August 2021. REUTERS Hannah McKay has a reputation for being one of the most brave women in the world.

LONDON, Sept 22 Reuters - Britain's defence ministry said on Wednesday an employee had been suspended over a data breach that revealed details of interpreters in Afghanistan seeking relocation to Britain after the Taliban retook control of the country last month.

Defence Minister Ben Wallace apologised and launched an investigation on Tuesday after an email sent to more than 250 people seeking relocation mistakenly copied all applicants so they were visible to other recipients.

An individual has already been suspended, in a tweet released by the defence ministry. Steps have already been taken to prevent this from happening in future. We apologise to those affected and extra support is offered.