The device APIs are not just "before iOS and Android came along". And they have remained and alive for a lot longer than they were supposed to be. That much is

The device APIs are not just "before iOS and Android came along". And they have remained and alive for a lot longer than they were supposed to be. That much is clear both from the NYTimes report (though it did lack clarity and could've been much better) and from Facebook's own response. Where is the statement that billions of devices (including older ones) out there don't have this access any longer?