FBI arrests OpenAI employee for allegedly planting recording device in company offices

October 13, 2026 / 5:36 PM EDT / CBS News

An OpenAI employee suspected of secretly planting a recording device in one of the company's conference rooms has been arrested on criminal charges, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was arrested Friday and made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday. Alfozan was charged with trying to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications.

Prosecutors said that Alfozan had worked at OpenAI as an engineer since July 2025.

On Sept. 30, the company's employees discovered the audio recording device inserted into a USB port on the back of a television inside an executive conference room. The company later determined that the recording device had been concealed in toilet paper and installed about two days before it was discovered.

The meeting room where it was hidden was often used by OpenAI's employees to discuss highly confidential and proprietary matters, including research, product plans and business development, the Justice Department said.

In a statement, OpenAI said that after discovering the device, it contacted the FBI and has terminated the employee accused of planting it.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/