US authorities have been placing tracking devices in shipments of advanced AI chips to ensure compliance with export restrictions to China. These trackers are covertly embedded in packaging to gather evidence against violators of export laws. Historically, law enforcement has utilized similar techniques for other restricted items, such as aircraft parts. Recent reports highlight the presence of both large and small tracking devices in shipments from companies like Dell and Super Micro. The US Department of Commerce and other agencies are involved in oversight of these actions, but little information is available about the frequency or timeline of this tracking method.
US authorities have secretly placed location tracking devices in specific shipments of advanced AI chips to enforce export restrictions on semiconductors to China.
The trackers are hidden in packaging and have been used for decades to track products under export restrictions, including aircraft parts and semiconductors.
In a 2024 case, a shipment of Dell servers with Nvidia chips contained both large trackers on the boxes and smaller devices hidden in the packaging.
Agencies involved in these investigations include the US Department of Commerce, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI, but they declined to comment.
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