OpenAI bugging complaint: Saudi engineer hid encrypted recorder in toilet paper on conference TV
petergyang · x · 2026-10-14
Beyond OpenAI's carefully-worded statement, the criminal complaint (N.D. Cal.) and DOJ statements reveal: the device was planted by Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and product team engineer who joined OpenAI in July 2025. Around Sept. 30, OpenAI's technical surveillance team found a covert audio recorder plugged into a TV's USB port in an executive conference room used for highly confidential technical, commercial, and strategic discussions; it was concealed in toilet paper, installed around Sept. 28, and its contents were encrypted. Peter Yang quips that toilet paper is not a great disguise.
Related event: OpenAI uncovers hidden recording device; Saudi engineer arrested by FBI(82 posts)→
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