Hidden Behind TV in OpenAI Executive Room: Saudi National Indicted for Alleged Illegal Eavesdropping

A Saudi national working as an employee has been indicted in a U.S. federal court for illegally installing a bugging device in an executive meeting room at OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on the 13th local time that Abdulrahman Al-Fozan, a 35-year-old Saudi engineer arrested on charges of attempting to eavesdrop by hiding an illegal recording device at OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters office, has appeared in federal court.

Al-Fozan, who joined the company as an engineer in July of last year, is accused of entering the executive meeting room—which he lacked the access or authorization to enter—and secretly installing an audio recording device wrapped in tissue paper into the USB port on the back of a TV.

The meeting room in question was a space where OpenAI's core confidential information and technological strategies, such as exclusive research, new product plans, and cooperation measures with the government, were discussed. The bugging device was discovered by an internal employee on September 30.

OpenAI also confirmed that the device, hidden in tissue paper and plugged into the USB port, had been installed around September 28 and that its contents were encrypted.

Through CCTV analysis within the building, U.S. investigative authorities tracked Al-Fozan's movements over several days near the executive meeting room, discovered additional recording devices in his bag, and urgently arrested him on the 9th.

If convicted, Al-Fozan could face up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence characterized this incident as an attempt at technology leakage directly tied to national security and economic power, stating they will strengthen counterintelligence investigations to protect private advanced technology and intellectual property.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.