Apple ruffles feathers of a Russian politician who found U2's newest album cover to be offensive.
A Russian politician is demanding that Apple be fined for violating the country’s anti-gay law that was passed in 2013. Alexander Starovoytov was offended when he saw an album cover, by Irish rock band U2, on iTunes with two shirtless men hugging.
Starovoytov asked the country’s attorney general to investigate Apple, and its daring move in violation the anti-gay law. According to the politician, Apple is breaking the law passed by President Vladimir Putin back in 2013 that disallows advertising or depictions of same-sex romance targeted to minors.
The album cover that Starovoytov was offended with has the band’s drummer, Larry Mullen Jr., without a shirt, kneeling down, and hugging his own son, Elvis, who is standing and is shirtless as well. This album was displayed on iTunes as it was being advertised.
The Russian politician received another message from it than just a father hugging his son. The politician said in a letter to Russia’s attorney general, “The cover of the album shows a group of two men, in my view, depicting the expression of non-traditional sexual relationships to each other.”
Starovoytov also mentioned that he was unable to remove the image from his iTunes account. Of course, many other iTunes users complained about this advertising stunt, but, not because of the image portrayed, simply because they were annoyed with U2.
The politician is asking that Apple be fined for 1 million rubles, about $19,300, and to suspend the company’s business in Russia.
This is not Russia’s first problem with Apple regarding homosexuality. When Apple’s CEO Tim Cook went public about his homosexuality, Russia removed a statue of Steve Job that was posted outside a bank. At that time, Russia also claimed that “iPhones are more dangerous than cigarettes and drugs.”