Bono finally apologises for automatic album download
<p dir="ltr">Bono has finally apologised for the automatic download of the 2014 U2 album <em>Songs of Innocence</em>. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When the album was released in September 2014, it was automatically downloaded onto the iTunes accounts of more than 500 million users. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, the band’s frontman has said he “takes full responsibility” for the outrage it caused. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The automatic download was met with much fury and anger from iTunes users: not due to them not authorising the download, but that the songs were nearly impossible to delete from accounts. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Writing for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/22/bono-memoir-birth-of-u2-itunes-album-live-aid-mullet?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1666438787">The Guardian</a>, Bono explained he pitched the free album as Apple giving its users a gift, which was not well thought out with CEO Tim Cook.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“But we're not a subscription organisation,” Cook responded to Bono, who said “not yet”, then told the CEO that it will be “everyone's choice if they want to listen to the album.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">It is said that Apple paid U2 $100 million for the album that hit iTunes accounts on September 9th 2014, around the same time when Apple launched its iPhone 6.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The announcement was shared by Apple in a press release, but it seemed many users did not get the message and were perplexed when the list of songs magically appeared in their iTunes account.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The majority of users complained the album was added without their permission, while others simply did not like U2.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Following the nearly instant angry tweets, comments and complaints, Apple launched a dedicated page that helped users remove <em>Songs of Innocence</em> - just six days after the album was released.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Users had to go through and delete each song manually, or hide the album from their iTunes accounts. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“I take full responsibility. Not Guy O, not Edge, not Adam, not Larry, not Tim Cook, not Eddy Cue,” Bono told The Guardian.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I'd thought if we could just put our music within reach of people, they might choose to reach out toward it. Not quite."</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>
