Army blames human error after conscripts’ data briefly exposed
Wednesday 30th September 2026 on 16:30 in
Lithuania
The personal data of some people called up for military service in 2026 was briefly made public in Lithuania’s public procurement system, LRT reported on Wednesday. The army said the disclosure resulted from human error and that there had been no breach of its information systems.
The army said it took immediate steps to contain the situation and prevent a recurrence. It is reviewing the circumstances and considering any further measures needed to protect data. The army’s Military Conscription and Recruitment Service confirmed that text messages sent to affected people about the disclosure were accurate.
The messages said the personal data had been published in the procurement system but was removed and was no longer publicly accessible. The army said it was notifying those affected in accordance with the law.
The Association of Young Market Participants said it had asked institutions for details including how long the data was available, what information was exposed, what caused the error and whether supervisory authorities had been properly notified. It also asked for information about the assessment of risks from further dissemination.
The association’s head, Ignas Plunksnis, said the inquiry related to what he described as a violation of the fundamental rights of more than 45,000 Lithuanian citizens, as well as court cases concerning the army’s handling of personal data.
Earlier in September, the association said conscripts’ personal data may have reached third-party platforms and referred the matter to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The Ministry of National Defence has proposed changing how conscripts are notified. Amendments registered this week would end the publication of public conscript lists from January 2027 and allow individuals to check their own information. Under the proposed system, users would log in to the army’s karys.lt website and enter their name, date of birth and the last four digits of their personal identification number.