Even if Apple caves to federal demands, there will will be plenty of ways to encrypt our communications

As Apple continues its fight for encryption with the FBI, other tech giants are ramping up their own privacy protections.

Google, Facebook, and messaging apps Snapchat and WhatsApp are all working to add extra security measures to their users' communications. These encryption projects began before the Apple controversy became public and will build on varying privacy features the services already maintain.

For WhatsApp in particular, however, federal attention may be on its way. The New York Times reported Saturday that unnamed Justice Department officials expect WhatsApp's strong encryption could well be the next target of a case like the one Apple is fighting now.

WhatsApp founder Jan Koum, who hails from Soviet-era Ukraine, has made clear that his encryption will not easily collapse under government pressure. "Our freedom and our liberty are at stake," he said in response to the FBI's attack on Apple.