Nvidia denies back-door features in its H20 chips after Beijing raises security concerns


Nvidia said its chips had no “back doors” after China’s cyberspace regulator interviewed company representatives over alleged security risks associated with its H20 chips, which were tailor-made for Chinese customers, although it remains unclear what impact Beijing’s mistrust of the US firm will have over time.

“Cybersecurity is critically important to us,” an Nvidia representative said in an email to the South China Morning Post on Thursday night. “Nvidia does not have ‘back doors’ in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them.”

The statement was in response to a regulatory move by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the agency responsible for the country’s cybersecurity.

The Chinese regulator said on Thursday that it had summoned and interviewed Nvidia regarding the potential tracking and remote control functions of its H20 chips, a surprise move as Nvidia had just received the green light from Washington to export the chips to clients in China.

Nvidia’s shares were down 0.8 per cent on Thursday in New York.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks to the media in Beijing on July 16, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks to the media in Beijing on July 16, 2025. Photo: Reuters

The latest development highlights the challenges faced by Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company in terms of market capitalisation, in trying to please both Washington and Beijing amid intensifying US-China rivalry in artificial intelligence and hi-tech.

  • Related Posts

    ByteDance’s drug unit presents AI-designed therapies at global conferences

    ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, is pushing deeper into artificial intelligence with Anew Labs, a drug-discovery unit that has begun presenting its AI-designed therapies at international conferences. The unit…

    Continue reading
    Comeback trail: can foreign marques regain lost ground amid China’s EV revolution?

    At the close of his presentation at this year’s Auto China show, Li Fenggang, president of Beijing Hyundai Motor, surprised the audience by asking them to lift LED boxes placed…

    Continue reading

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *