Civil Rights Groups Demand Inquiry Into UK Data Watchdog After Afghan Breach Failures

Civil liberties groups demand inquiry into ICO for failing to probe Afghan data breach, risking lives after Taliban takeover.

By Content Team

Nov 25, 2025

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Seventy-three civil liberties campaigners, lawyers, and academics are demanding a parliamentary inquiry into the UK's Information Commissioner's Office after its failure to investigate the Ministry of Defence over the Afghan data breach. The serious leak exposed names of Afghans who worked with British forces, potentially putting their lives at risk after the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

The groups, coordinated by Open Rights Group, accuse Commissioner John Edwards of a "collapse in enforcement activity" and warn of deeper structural failures. They cite the ICO's pattern of issuing weak reprimands instead of meaningful penalties for public sector breaches, including those affecting Windrush victims.

The letter warns that both public and private sectors are now ignoring data protection rules, knowing enforcement is unlikely.

Source: The Guardian

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