The earth is still spinning on its axis, the leopard hasn’t changed its spots, and China is still all in favor of surveilling everybody within China and everybody outside of China via CCP-directed technology. But any possibility that the Chinese government might itself receive tech from the outside world equipped to spy on China has it up in arms (as, of course, China’s spy-equipped technology should have had the U.S. and other countries up in arms long before now).
NVIDIA is “racing” to “calm China over controversial AI chips built for surveillance” (TechRadar, August 8, 2025). The Cyberspace Administration of China is investigating alleged “ ‘backdoor’ risks in its H20 chips, developed specifically for China after US export restrictions disrupted prior sales of high-end AI processors.”
While Nvidia has firmly denied the existence of any such vulnerabilities, the Chinese government’s decision to interrogate the issue [sic] introduces a new layer of uncertainty into the company’s already complex relationship with its second-largest market.
The regulator has not detailed any specific actions it plans to take, but the call to clarify potential security flaws suggests the company’s access to Chinese institutions could face added friction.
Nvidia’s official position has remained consistent: its chips do not contain any embedded features that could allow remote access or control.
Geez, NVIDIA, why not? This is a scandal. Get those remote-access capabilities embedded in those chips headed for China, and get them embedded pronto!
But maybe China is just bullshitting about this. “Chinese analysts have suggested the move could be a political gesture, mirroring concerns the US has raised about Chinese tech in recent years.”
Meanwhile, there’s still plenty of demand for H20 chips from China. “Even military and state-backed projects are known to use Nvidia technology.” Oh? Even though even-more-secret backdoor mechanisms in all microchips in China imported from the U.S. mean that the U.S. government could cause all Chinese military vehicles and equipment with the chips to self-destruct at any moment?
