Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
July 27, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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How It Works • Cryptocurrency

Clipper

Clipper most commonly refers to the U.S.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

Clipper most commonly refers to the U.S. government’s 1993 Clipper chip proposal, an encryption system for secure voice communications with government-held key escrow. It can also refer to the Clipper programming language, a dBASE-compatible database programming language.

What it is

The Clipper chip was a cryptographic chipset introduced by the U.S. government in 1993. It used the NSA-developed Skipjack algorithm to encrypt voice and data communications, with a built-in key-escrow mechanism that allowed law enforcement to decrypt communications with a court order.

Why it matters

The Clipper chip sparked intense debate over privacy, surveillance, and the role of government in encryption. Critics argued the escrow system created a backdoor that could be exploited, and the proposal ultimately failed due to public opposition and technical flaws. It remains a key case study in encryption policy discussions, including in Canada.

Key details

The Clipper chip was effectively dead by 1996 due to lack of adoption. Separately, Clipper also refers to a dBASE-compatible programming language used for database application development, which is unrelated to cryptography and now considered legacy software.

In short

  • Clipper chip: 1993 U.S. encryption chip with government key escrow.
  • Used NSA’s Skipjack algorithm; controversial for built-in backdoor.
  • Defunct by 1996; a historical lesson in encryption policy.
  • Also a legacy database programming language (Clipper).
Canadian angle

The Clipper chip is a notable case in encryption policy history that is often discussed in Canadian privacy, surveillance, and cryptography debates because it illustrates the trade-off between lawful access and secure communications.

Quick questions

What is the Clipper chip?
A U.S. government encryption chipset introduced in 1993 to secure communications while allowing law enforcement access via escrowed keys.
Why was the Clipper chip controversial?
It built in government-access capability, raising privacy and surveillance concerns, and critics argued the escrow model created security risks.
What is the Clipper programming language?
A dBASE-compatible database programming language used for application development, unrelated to the Clipper chip.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_chip
    Supports: Introduction, purpose, use of Skipjack, status by 1996
  2. EPIC — https://archive.epic.org/crypto/clipper/
    Supports: Key escrow, government access, Skipjack, voice vs. data context
  3. Electronic Frontier Foundation — https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/04/clipper-chips-birthday-looking-back-22-years-key-escrow-failures
    Supports: Backdoor/key escrow criticism, public opposition, failure by 1996
  4. Jones Walker — https://www.joneswalker.com/en/insights/blogs/ai-law-blog/from-clipper-chips-to-claude-a-history-of-government-power-vs-technology-safety.html?id=102mlj8
    Supports: Government access rationale and key escrow description
  5. Stanford University — https://www.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/1995-96/clipper-chip/tech.html
    Supports: Clipper as encrypted communication system and escrowed keys
  6. ScienceDirect — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/1353485894900973
    Supports: Controversy framing and surveillance concerns
  7. Brookings Institution — https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-brief-history-of-u-s-encryption-policy/
    Supports: Timeline, backlash, vulnerabilities, end of program
  8. University of Texas at Austin — https://www.laits.utexas.edu/~anorman/long.extra/Student.F98/Encrypt/ThirdRight.html
    Supports: Clipper as first U.S. key-escrow encryption standard and historical context