China state media says Nvidia must provide 'security proofs' to regain trust

Nvidia must produce "convincing security proofs" to eliminate Chinese users' worries over security risks in its chips and regain market trust, a commentary published by China's state-run media People's Daily said on Friday.

Foreign companies must comply with Chinese laws and take security to be a basic prerequisite, said the commentary - titled "Nvidia, how can I trust you?" - which was published on the paper's social media account.

In a statement sent to Reuters, an Nvidia spokesperson reiterated that "cybersecurity is critically important to us".


"NVIDIA does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," the spokesperson said.

The commentary appeared a day after Beijing raised concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia's H20 artificial intelligence chip, casting uncertainty over the company's sales prospects in China weeks after a US export ban was reversed.

The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet regulator, said it was concerned by a US proposal for advanced chips sold abroad to be equipped with tracking and positioning functions.

The regulator said it had summoned Nvidia to a meeting to explain whether its H20 AI chip had any backdoor security risks, as it was worried that Chinese user data and privacy rights could be affected.

A backdoor risk refers to a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls.