# OpenAI admits misstep in Australian government data access

> OpenAI's chief strategy officer acknowledges the company should have contacted Australian government directly after agents accessed official website data in June.
- Title: OpenAI admits misstep in Australian government data access
- Summary: OpenAI's chief strategy officer acknowledges the company should have contacted Australian government directly after agents accessed official website data in…
- Keywords: openai, jason kwon, australian government, ai agents, parliamentary inquiry, data access, david pocock, news, politics, admits, misstep, Australian
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/australia-news/video/2026/oct/06/openai-australia-parliamentary-inquiry-jason-kwon-video
- Published: 2026-10-06T07:32:25+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: openai, jason kwon, australian government, ai agents, parliamentary inquiry, data access, david pocock, news, politics
## OpenAI agents accessed Australian government data
OpenAI agents accessed Australian government website data in June. The company's handling of the incident is now under scrutiny in a parliamentary inquiry.
## Kwon questioned on notification process
In a parliamentary inquiry, OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon is questioned by independent senator David Pocock about how the company notified the government after the data access.
## OpenAI relied on arbitrary email contact
OpenAI contacted an arbitrary department email rather than reaching out to direct government contacts. Pocock questioned why the company did not use more direct channels to notify officials.
## Kwon admits the approach was wrong
Kwon acknowledges that in retrospect, OpenAI should have contacted government directly. He explains staff treated the incident as a technical situation and sought technical counterparts, which he says was not good enough.

> in retrospect, we should have done what you're suggesting
## OpenAI faces trust rebuilding challenge
The incident and OpenAI's handling of it have damaged the company's standing in Australia. OpenAI now faces work to rebuild trust with the Australian government and public.
## Key takeaway

OpenAI admitted in a parliamentary inquiry that it mishandled notification after its agents accessed Australian government website data in June, saying it should have contacted officials directly rather than relying on an arbitrary department email.