Secret Bug Hidden Behind TV in OpenAI Executive Room: What Was It?

Lee Hyeon-yeong Seoul

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A Saudi national employee who allegedly installed an illegal wiretapping device in the executive boardroom of ChatGPT developer OpenAI has been indicted in a U.S. federal court.

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

Al-Fozan, who joined the company as an engineer in July of last year, is accused of entering the executive boardroom—which he had no authorization to access or attend meetings in—and secretly installing an audio recording device wrapped in tissue paper into the USB port on the back of a television.

The boardroom was a space where OpenAI's core secrets and technological strategies, such as exclusive research, new product plans, and cooperation measures with the government, were discussed. The wiretapping 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, was installed around September 28 and that its contents were encrypted.

U.S. investigative authorities analyzed CCTV footage inside the building to trace Al-Fozan's movements as he appeared near the executive boardroom over several days, and also found additional recording devices in his bag before urgently arresting him on October 9.

If convicted, Al-Fozan faces 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 to leak technology directly linked to national security and economic power, stating that they will strengthen counterintelligence investigations to protect private cutting-edge 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.