Comment by pydry

Either way this isnt a foundry covertly inserting a back door. It is a foundry openly inserting a back door and turning it into a feature.

A small country that imports these chips and wanted to protect its national security by providing "me disabled" chips wouldnt need a whole foundry of its own to turn it off or to verify that there isnt a "hidden" ME. The cost of this would probably run into low millions not billions.