Nvidia Denies Chinese Accusation of Hidden Controls

Nvidia has publicly rejected speculation that its graphics processors contain hidden controls, writes Hassam Nasir, in Tom’s Hardware. The chip-maker states that there are no kill switches, backdoors, or spyware in  its products.

Chinese authorities recently questioned Nvidia executives about whether export-approved H20 chips had “tracking and positioning” capabilities.

Nvidia calls government proposals for hardware-level tracking and disabling mechanisms counterproductive, warning they would invite exploitation by hackers and erode global trust in U.S. technology.

For industries dependent on high-end GPUs the controversy highlights the issues that lurk at the intersection of trade regulation, national security, and commercial risk.

US lawmakers have floated the Chip Security Act, which would mandate embedded location verification for export-controlled accelerators and certain GPUs. No binding law exists yet.

The White House has confirmed that it is weighing chip-tracking measures as part of broader efforts to curb unauthorized transfers to China.

The Department of Justice recently announced arrests tied to alleged GPU smuggling.

An Nvidia blog post, authored by Chief Security Officer David Reber Jr., argued that backdoors and kill switches create single points of failure, citing the Clipper Chip controversy of the 1990s as a cautionary example.

He emphasized that secure GPU design requires layered safeguards, transparency, and user control rather than hidden firmware triggers.

Nvidia also noted that its revenue guidance was reduced by billions due to paused H20 sales, warning that mandated control features could further harm U.S. competitiveness.

Counsel should track emerging legislation, anticipate enforcement tied to hardware exports, and prepare for disputes over contractual obligations if mandated security features affect performance or access.