Chinese State Media Says Nvidia H20 Chips Are Not Safe For China

The H20 chip from Nvidia, considered less secure (photo: x @NikkeiAsia)

JAKARTA - The H20 chip made by Nvidia raises security concerns for China. This is known according to a statement by a social media account affiliated with Chinese state media on Sunday, August 10. This follows Beijing's concern over the "backdoor" access to the chip.

The Yuyuan Tantian account, which is linked to state television, CCTV, in an article published on WeChat states that the H20 chip not only has security risks, but also is not technologically sophisticated and is not environmentally friendly.

"When a type of chip is not environmentally friendly, not sophisticated, and insecure, as a consumer, we certainly have the option not to buy it," the article concluded.

Nvidia has not yet responded to a request for comment on this issue.

Nvidia's H20 artificial intelligence chips were developed specifically for the Chinese market after the United States imposed export restrictions on advanced AI chips by the end of 2023. US President Donald Trump's administration banned the sale of the chip in April amid trade tensions with China, but the ban was lifted in July.

China's cyber surveillance agency on July 31 called on Nvidia to ask for an explanation of whether the H20 chip has a security risk in the form of a "backdoor" hidden method to bypass authentication or normal security controls.

Nvidia later stated that its product does not have a "backdoor" that allows long-distance access or control.

In its article, Yuyuan Tantian mentions that Nvidia chips have capabilities such as "long-distance closures" through hardware "backdoors".

Yuyuan Tantian's comments follow criticism from People's Daily, another Chinese state media. In a comment earlier this month, People's Daily stated that Nvidia should provide "convincing security evidence" to allay Chinese users' concerns over the security risks on its chips and restore market confidence.