WhatsApp is rolling out full encryption for all platforms of the messaging service. Encryption will be provided for all messages and calls on the Facebook-owned application. This would even prevent the company's employees from spying on users' messages or giving them to law enforcement.

The messaging giant announced on April 5, Tuesday that messages sent via its service are only stored in a hash on WhatsApp servers. This change affects the company's billion users.       

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WhatsApp's new encryption comes at a time when Silicon Valley tech giants are battling the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the encryption and privacy of mobile devices. It includes an Apple v FBI case in which federal prosecutors received a court order for the company to hack an iPhone 5c handset owned by one of the shooters of the San Bernardino terrorist attack last December. The FBI dropped its case after announcing that it had unlocked the phone itself by using a mysterious method.            

However, WhatsApp has been working on encryption for one and a half years. It has been taking steps to beef up security since November 2014 when it teamed up with the encryption protocols of Open Whisper Systems, according to RT.

The end-to-end encryption could affect the service's one billion years. However, WhatsApp users must upgrade to the newest version of the software then the client will inform them if their messages have full encryption.

WhatsApp Founder Jan Koum wrote in a blog post on Tuesday that securing private communication is a core belief of the company. On a personal note he also explained that one of the reasons his family moved to the United States was that people could not speak freely in the former USSR.

The company's blog post calls encryption one of the most valuable tools for people, companies, and governments in the Digital Age. However, many US government officials have argued that national security is more important than supporting encryption.  

Richard Burr (R-NC) of the US Senate Intelligence Committee is proposing a new bill that would require tech companies such as Google and Apple to comply when law enforcement secures court orders to access encrypted data on devices, according to Digital Trends. The proposal is expected to be released this week.     

However, such a bill would oppose the recommendation of industry experts that allowing backdoor access for the feds would weaken online privacy. They include security experts, tech companies, and privacy groups who have opposed such new laws.

This video explains end-to-end encryption: