Nvidia has pushed back against proposals in Washington that would require advanced U.S.-made chips to include tracking features or remote-access capabilities, warning that such mandates could expose critical infrastructure to cyber threats and weaken trust in American technology.
In a blog post published in both English and Chinese, the chipmaker reaffirmed that its AI chips contain no backdoors or kill switches, and argued that introducing such features would be a dangerous mistake. “Embedding backdoors and kill switches into chips would be a gift to hackers and hostile actors,” the company said. “It would undermine global digital infrastructure and fracture trust in U.S. technology.”
The statement comes in response to concerns raised by the Chinese government, which last week summoned Nvidia for discussions after U.S. policymakers floated the idea of embedding tracking and location-verification tools into high-end semiconductors sold abroad. The measures, still under discussion, are intended to prevent U.S.-origin chips from being diverted to countries restricted under export control laws.
Although the proposed legislation and White House recommendations have not yet been formalized, they have already triggered anxiety among chipmakers and foreign governments. Nvidia’s strong rejection reflects growing industry concerns that security-oriented mandates, if poorly designed, could backfire—creating vulnerabilities instead of closing them.
The company stressed that even well-intentioned “secret backdoors” are inherently unsafe. “There is no such thing as a ‘good’ secret backdoor—only dangerous vulnerabilities that need to be eliminated,” Nvidia wrote.
As lawmakers weigh national security priorities against the need to protect innovation and maintain global competitiveness, Nvidia’s message underscores the delicate balance required when regulating cutting-edge technologies. For one of the world’s most valuable chipmakers, trust and security are non-negotiable—on both sides of the Pacific.
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