---
title: "Saudi National Charged with Secretly Planting Recording Device at OpenAI Office"
url: https://noti.group/saudi-national-charged-with-secretly-planting-recording-device/
language: en
publisher: "Noti Group"
section: "World News"
published: 2026-10-13T21:42:49.000Z
updated: 2026-10-14T01:27:39.408Z
id: f6adf4ab-d25c-4f08-bf6c-6df53c1ff0d2
source: "BBC News World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwg5jq4vlddzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/saudi-national-charged-with-secretly-planting-recording-device/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Saudi National Charged with Secretly Planting Recording Device at OpenAI Office

A Saudi national working as an engineer at OpenAI in California has been charged with secretly planting a recording device in the company's office.

A Saudi national has been charged with secretly planting a sophisticated recording device in one of OpenAI's offices in California, according to federal prosecutors.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, who worked as an engineer at the AI firm, is accused of using or attempting to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. This alleged crime has led to a federal charge against him. The investigation into this matter is ongoing.

OpenAI discovered the recording device hidden in their San Francisco office and immediately alerted the FBI. Further investigation revealed that the company had used its AI models to track down the origin of the device, which was found to have been planted by an employee.

The device was concealed in a USB port on the back of a TV in an executive conference room, wrapped in toilet paper.

The alleged goal of the device's installation was to capture information about OpenAI's AI product, according to prosecutors.

Alfozan has been working as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, but his actions have raised serious concerns about data security and employee trust within the company.

OpenAI employees discovered the device just two days after it had allegedly been installed on September 30. The device was found to be encrypted, adding to the complexity of the situation.

The company's AI models were used to analyze the device and track its origin, revealing that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier.

Prosecutors claim that on 5 October, Alfozan returned to the office building where OpenAI is based and allegedly inspected the device he had planted in a conference room earlier.

This visit was caught on CCTV camera footage, which prosecutors used to link him to the scene of the crime. In another part of the building, Alfozan left an unattended bag that security personnel discovered, containing his wallet and ID, as well as another recording device similar to the one found in the office conference room.

Alfozan appeared in court on Tuesday, but it is unclear whether he has legal representation. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of $250,000.

---
Source: [BBC News World](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwg5jq4vlddzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)  
Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/saudi-national-charged-with-secretly-planting-recording-device/