On the issue of Facebook updating its Android app not using the Google Play store update; Google has clarified the terms and conditions clearly once again to ensure that in future no developer attempts to bypass the Google store for any kind of up gradations. From the beginning days Google has followed the strict rule to outlaw the applications that cause the users to download and install applications unknowingly from sources other than Google Play, and as a result of this experimentation at the part of Facebook, Google has made a new addition to the section marked as “Dangerous Products” in its Google Play Developer Program Policies.
The new sentence clearly reads that any application downloaded from the Google Play, should not modify, update or replace its own APK binary codes using any other methods; these applications should only follow the Google Play’s up gradation mechanism for the purpose. This clear and new phrasing in the Developer Program Policies leaves no room for any other interpretation than the fact, that Google is annoyed with this experimentation of Facebook.
As an explanation from Facebook for its update policies, it was said, that the app was pushing updates to the phones of the users who allow non-play store updates & downloads, and this was just a way to inform them that the updates were now available, which is workable under the old terms and policies. But at the changed circumstances, it is clear that Facebook will not be permitted to continue with experimenting with the idea of pushing new features to the users.
In this context, around a month back Liliputing had reported that the Android version of Facebook was prompting its users to download an update without going through the Google Play app store. There was a continuous notification that an update was ready and that could be downloaded directly from the Facebook. This had raised the obvious question of security that if Facebook can bypass Google Play, then any other malware also can bypass the built-in virus scanner of the Play Store. By this new addition in its policies, Google finally seems to draw an end to the chapter.