When people woke up to find their iTunes had ‘gifted’ them a U2 album, many were annoyed.
But one Russian lawmaker is on a mission to stop Apple from ever doing anything similar again, claiming the company was distributing ‘gay propaganda’ to minors.
Alexander Starovoitov, a member of the right-wing LDPR party, said youths were ‘corrupted’ after they received U2’s new album Songs Of Innocence in September 2014.
The album, which was distributed to 500 million iTunes customers worldwide, featured the band’s drummer Larry Mullen Jr with his 18-year-old son Elvis. Both were shirtless.
The group said it was a metaphor, how ‘holding on to your own innocence is a lot harder than holding on to someone else’s’.
Starovoitov claims the U2 album art promotes gay sex and is reportedly ready to sue Apple for compensation for moral damages on behalf of his own son.
‘I, like many Russian citizens, own an iPhone. In 2014, the band U2 forced my phone to download their new album. Their cover album depicts two men, which in my view, depicts the expression of a non-traditional sexual relationship to each other.
‘It should be noted these songs could not be removed from the phone.’
When U2 were facing the backlash from iPhone users who were not massive fans of the band, they apologized about the automatic download.
‘I had thie beautiful idea and we kind of got carried away with ourselves,’ Bono said. ‘Artists are prone to that kind of thing.’
If Apple is convicted of distributing gay propaganda, the company could be forced to cease operations in Russia for 90 days or pay a fine of up to 1 million roubles ($20,000, €17,000).