China: Cyberspace Administration opened investigation into Nvidia regarding chip security features

On 31 July 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) initiated a formal investigation into Nvidia Corporation concerning reported security features in the company's semiconductor products. The CAC requested that Nvidia provide technical documentation and explanations regarding specific security functionalities present in its H20 computing chips distributed in the Chinese market. The investigation references two primary technical considerations. First, previous legislative discussions in the United States regarding the implementation of tracking and geolocation capabilities in advanced semiconductor exports. Second, technical assessments by artificial intelligence industry experts indicate the presence of remote monitoring and shutdown functionalities within Nvidia's chip architecture. The CAC identified potential concerns regarding network security protocols and data protection standards for Chinese entities utilising systems incorporating Nvidia semiconductor components. The company has been directed to submit comprehensive technical documentation addressing these security feature implementations.