14 DAY TRIAL // Missing some hot Apple scandal? Remember how a few weeks ago we told you that the Russian version of Siri was heard giving some pretty homophobic answers when asked information related to gay clubs or gay marriages? Well, this week we revisit this topic.
Russia is known for having a strict anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) policy and the country has been widely criticized for its intolerance of the LGBT community, so occurrences like these shouldn't come as such a big surprise, right?
This week brings us another story that seems even more outrageous. Apple has been accused of distributing homosexual pornography to minors by Russian politician Alexander Starovoitov, a member of the LDPR party, who points towards the cover of the U2 album Apple freely offered to buyers of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The cover of the album in question, which is named Songs of Innocence and was distributed via iTunes, depicts one of the band members, Larry Mullen Jr, hugging his bare-chested 18-year-old son, from a kneeling position.
Songs of Innocence said to actually promote gay relations
U2 says the image should be understood as a metaphor alluding to the fact that it’s harder to preserve your own innocence than to embrace that of others.
However, the Russian politician had a totally different interpretation of the whole concept. Alexander Starovoitov claims that this image is actually disguised homosexual propaganda and would be enough to turn heterosexual minors into gay men. Which is simply a ridiculous accusation.
Despite all of this nonsense, Apple will be taken to court, and if proven guilty, the company will be forced to seize all activities in the country for up to 90 days and pay a fine of 1 million Ruble (around $19,345).
It might be that the Russian politician is uneasy about Apple as a company, altogether. Cupertino’s CEO Tim Cook came out as gay publicly back in October, and when talking about his sexuality, he said it was “among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
Even so, a personal vendetta against the company will certainly not be seen with conceding eyes by a court. So Apple probably doesn't have too much to worry about.