Clipper Chip

The Clipper chip is a cryptographic device purportedly intended to protect private communications while at the same time permitting government agents to obtain the "keys" upon presentation of "legal authorization." The "keys" are held by two government escrow agents and would enable the government to access the encrypted private communication. While Clipper would be used to encrypt voice transmissions, a similar chip known as the Capstone chip would be used to encrypt data.