The United Kingdom has been accused of secretly spending $3.2 million to prevent journalists from reporting on a data breach that exposed the personal information of 19,000 Afghans. The breach came to light after an accidental disclosure of sensitive data, which the government sought to suppress through a legal order. This incident occurred during the turbulent period following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, when British and Canadian soldiers were still stationed at the Kabul airport, attempting to facilitate the safe exit of Afghan civilians.