America's Commerce Department is Reviewing China's Use of RISC-V Chips

An anonymous reader shared a report this week from Reuters:

The U.S. Department of Commerce is reviewing the national security implications of China's work in open-source RISC-V chip technology, according to a letter sent to U.S. lawmakers...

The technology is being used by major Chinese tech firms such as Alibaba Group Holding and has become a new front in the strategic competition over advanced chip technology between the U.S. and China. In November, 18 U.S. lawmakers from both houses of Congress pressed the Biden administration for its plans to prevent China 'from achieving dominance in... RISC-V technology and leveraging that dominance at the expense of U.S. national and economic security.'

In a letter last week to the lawmakers that was seen by Reuters on Tuesday, the Commerce Department said it is 'working to review potential risks and assess whether there are appropriate actions under Commerce authorities that could effectively address any potential concerns.'

But the Commerce Department also noted that it would need to tread carefully to avoid harming U.S. companies that are part of international groups working on RISC-V technology.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.