Nvidia has strongly denied accusations from China that its computer chips include secret ways to track users or shut down devices remotely. The company also warned that proposals to add such features, known as backdoors or kill switches would create major security risks.
The dispute began when the Cyberspace Administration of China said it met with Nvidia over what it called “serious security issues” in the company’s products. Chinese officials claimed US experts had revealed that Nvidia’s H20 chip, made for the Chinese market under US export rules, could be tracked and remotely disabled.
Nvidia responded in a blog post from its Chief Security Officer, David Reber Jr., stating: “There are no back doors in NVIDIA chips. No kill switches. No spyware. That’s not how trustworthy systems are built and never will be.” The company has consistently denied that such controls exist.
Concerns Over Proposed US Law
While dismissing China’s claims, Nvidia also appeared to be addressing US lawmakers. A proposed “Chip Security Act” in the United States would require exported chips to have location verification and possibly a way to stop unauthorized use. Critics argue this could open the door to government-controlled kill switches, something Nvidia says is dangerous.
Senator Tom Cotton’s office says the bill is meant to keep advanced American chips out of the hands of “adversaries like Communist China.” The White House’s AI Action Plan also suggests exploring location tracking for high-end computing hardware.
Why Nvidia Says Kill Switches Are a Bad Idea
Reber argued that adding kill switches or hidden access points would be a gift to hackers and foreign threats, creating weaknesses in global technology infrastructure. He compared it to buying a car where the dealer could apply the parking brake remotely without your consent.
“There is no such thing as a ‘good’ secret backdoor,” he said. “They only create dangerous vulnerabilities.” Instead, Nvidia says security should rely on rigorous testing, independent verification, and compliance with global cybersecurity standards.
Reber pointed to the 1990s “Clipper Chip” project, when the US government tried to create a form of encryption with a built-in backdoor for law enforcement. Researchers quickly found flaws, proving it was unsafe. That project was abandoned, and many experts now see it as a warning against similar ideas.
According to Reber, Nvidia’s chips are built with layered security to avoid any single point of failure. Adding a kill switch, he says, would break that design and harm both innovation and trust in US technology.
