Nvidia has stated that its chips do not contain any backdoors, kill switches, or spyware.
Nvidia Corporation has issued a strong statement asserting that its Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) contain no backdoors, kill switches, or spyware. This declaration directly addresses growing concerns from policymakers regarding potential hardware-based control mechanisms. The semiconductor giant categorically rejects proposals from some industry observers and government officials advocating for mandatory remote disable capabilities in critical computing infrastructure, deeming such concepts fundamentally dangerous to cybersecurity. Nvidia emphasises that intentional vulnerabilities create exploitable weaknesses that hostile actors can target, undermining the integrity of systems. The company highlights its commitment to established cybersecurity principles that favour robust security architecture over the introduction of deliberate vulnerabilities.
Nvidia’s position aligns with historical cybersecurity responses to processor vulnerabilities, such as Spectre and Meltdown, where the industry united to eliminate security flaws rather than institutionalise them. The company adheres to “defence in depth” security protocols, layering multiple safeguards to prevent system compromise. Nvidia GPUs power critical infrastructure, including CT scanners, MRI machines, DNA sequencers, air-traffic radar systems, and autonomous vehicle platforms. Introducing deliberate vulnerabilities into these systems would undermine global digital infrastructure and erode trust in American technology leadership. Nvidia cites the failed Clipper Chip initiative from 1993 as a cautionary example of how government backdoors can compromise system security, demonstrating that centralised vulnerabilities create attack vectors regardless of original intent.
