Hungary opened its communist-era secret police files to the public on Wednesday, the BBC and Euronews report.

The names and personal data of about 60,000 people recruited by the secret services are now on the nyitottaktak.hu website, the BBC reports. Euronews says estimates put the number at 50,000 to 60,000.

The date is symbolic. On 4 November 1956, Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest to crush Hungary's revolution, the BBC notes.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar had promised to open the files during his campaign, the BBC reports. “I ask everyone to treat this long overdue publication of documents with dignity and humanity,” he said at the state archives.

“Many families will now face difficult information, often related to a deceased relative,” Magyar said, the BBC reports. The government will set up hotlines offering emotional support, Euronews says.

A typical entry lists an informer's real name, code name, birth date and handling officer, the BBC reports. It may also say whether the person was recruited by choice or under pressure.

Critics say the files are incomplete and could cause needless pain, the BBC reports. The head of the archive said the records are not always true and are very incomplete, Euronews reports.

“I know of quite a few examples when someone was recruited, but they did not make a report,” historian Laszlo Eorsi said, Euronews reports.

About 150,000 people are thought to have been recruited as informers under communist rule, Euronews reports. The BBC puts the estimate at 150,000 to 160,000. A second batch of more detailed files is due in February.

What we know: Hungary has put the names of tens of thousands of recruited informers online.
What we don't: What each person actually did, which the files often do not show.