UK defence ministry fined for Afghan data breach during Taliban takeover

The Union Jack flag is flown outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain February 9, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - The British data regulator said on Wednesday it had fined the defence ministry for a series of email data breaches that revealed details of over 265 Afghans who were seeking relocation to Britain after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it had fined the Ministry of Defence (MoD) 350,000 pounds, saying the department did not have operating procedures in place to ensure group emails had been sent securely to the Afghan nationals who had worked for or with the British government.