back to article Not pro Bono: Apple's audio junk mail made spammers' lives easier

Apple's decision to push a new album by Irish boy band U2 into the iCloud libraries of millions isn't just egregious. It arguably plays into the hands of scammers. Without warning, the iPhone maker emitted Songs of Innocence with all the haste of a critical security update after the group's appearance at its Apple Watch and …

  1. Hud Dunlap
    Thumb Down

    Irish Boy Band?

    Maybe twenty years ago.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Irish Boy Band?

      Got a hyperactive irony filter there?

    2. JeffyPoooh
      Pint

      In my case, the songs are available for download

      Not actually downloaded to my iPhone. YMMV.

      lim (year -> 2020) Music Price = free (legally free)

      Concert ticket prices tend towards infinity.

    3. Patrick R
      Holmes

      Re: Irish Boy Band? Maybe twenty years ago

      Make it 34 years (the "Boy" album).

  2. Steven Raith

    "...it's my device..."

    It really isn't.

    Steven "same goes for Android and WinPho too, as it happens" R

    1. Fibbles

      Re: "...it's my device..."

      It really isn't.

      My rooted Android device says otherwise.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Holmes

      Re: "...it's my device..."

      You can't say an Android "isn't my device", because I can make it mine as I please just by rooting.

      However, all Apple devices, including their computers, are definitely NOT "your device". They are locked, unlocked, erased, and changed at will without need for your approval. Nothing you can do about it. And the moment your data hits one of their devices, it becomes Apple's data.

      The most you can do in reality is rent Apple's devices. Something to think about.

      1. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

        @Andy Prough Re: "...it's my device..."

        Bollocks.

        You can jailbreak an Apple device and achieve exactly the same security/freedom tradeoff as with rooted Android devices, if that's your thing.

        Not that jailbreaking is for everybody, just pointing out that there is absolutely no difference between Android and Apple devices in this regard.

      2. JeffyPoooh
        Pint

        Re: "...it's my device..."

        @AP

        Reminder: Google remotely deleted 50 Android apps back in 2011. It was the 2nd time they had done that. Perhaps they have done it since. All for what they claim to be good reasons, but the example utterly nukes your point.

        Those that fail to pay attention to history are left confused, heads full of strange ideas that are simply wrong.

        (Disclaimer: Not a fanboy. Posted from my Nexus tablet. iPhone within reach. BlackBerry just a bit further. Kobo beside it. Android burner phone over there. You get the idea...)

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "...it's my device..."

      OK, quite clearly you have trouble differentiating products and operating systems.

      iPhone is a PRODUCT from Apple

      Android is a OPERATING SYSTEM from Google, used on thousands of different PRODUCTS.

      1. Steven Raith
        Thumb Up

        Re: "...it's my device..."

        You're all no fun.

        Although yes, I kind of forgot about rooting, I haven't had to do it for years and does kind of negate my childish frippery. I'm blaming the stomach bug I have (I posted that from a rather uncomfortable toilet trip - enjoy that mental image).

        Hugs and kisses

        Raith

  3. Captain DaFt

    Reminds me of why we lock our car doors in the summer

    If you don't, you come back to a car full of zucchini and tomatoes.

    (These could be a tad more welcome than a U2 song popping up on your shuffle mode though.)

  4. Diogenes

    I have 47 "albums" on my device

    They are cunningly called Mozart Piano Sonata # or Mozart Symphony #. I have purchased 3 albums all have cunning name like Missa @ with Hayden or Bieber (no that one - the good that died in 1704)

    as the composer. On what planet does Apple think I would remotely interested in (expletives deleted) U2 ? Maybe Tim & Bono share tax tips :-)

    #is a number

    @ is either Salzburgenis or Bruxellensis or Anguistis(Nelson Mass)

    1. tony2heads

      Re: I have 47 "albums" on my device

      The kids in your family will all be singing along to Heinrich Ignaz (especially 'Laudate, pueri, Dominum')

      But I thought that his name was spelt Biber

    2. VinceH

      Re: I have 47 "albums" on my device

      I applaud your taste in music*.

      Though, if Apple has put U2 on your device, I'm considerably less impressed by your taste in technology :p

      * However, I do also like - and my collection includes - modern(-ish) stuff as well as classical. I suspect I may be the recipient of some scorn for saying this, but that does include some U2 material.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I have 47 "albums" on my device

      Be prepared, next week, you are getting the new X-Factor single added, for free. They are going to insert it into your playlists randomly and you can only delete it after you have listened to it at least 10 times, and filled out a online feedback form signed and approved by Tim Cook and Simon Cowell.

      iThings are for idiots that don't know any better, and this is just the beginning of things. Whilst Apple paid 10m for the U2 deal to spam everyone with the new album, regardless. The next logical step is for record companies to pay THEM to give exposure to this weeks favorite boyband.

      Can't say I feel any sympathy, iPhone/iTunes users deserve everything they get really.

    4. Michael Hoffmann Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: I have 47 "albums" on my device

      Have you ever tested whether leaving the device in a car for a fortnight suddenly results in "Piano Sonata #5 - music by W.A.Mozart, lyrics by F.Mercury"?

      (yes, I just re-read Good Omens for the umpteenth time, how can you tell?)

      1. Diogenes

        Re: I have 47 "albums" on my device

        As I teach app development it is extremely useful to have a real device to test on - thats why I also have a Galaxy Tab & an ASUS windows tablet .

        They are usually loaded with the same music , movies and books

  5. Mitoo Bobsworth
    Joke

    "illustrated instructions on how to delete Bono's free tracks"

    Bono: "Every time I clap my hands, a U2 track dies."

    Me: "Yesss! Keep going!!"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "illustrated instructions on how to delete Bono's free tracks"

      Nice one :)

  6. messele

    Well this is bollocks

    It's not as if they planted it on any device, but let's not let facts get in the way of rolling our sleeves up to give that barrel a good ol' scrape.

    1. returnmyjedi

      Re: Well this is bollocks

      It appeared uninvited on both my work and my wife's iPhones so I'm not sure what's bollocks about this.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

        Re: Well this is bollocks

        It's not as if they planted it on any device

        iStuff are not devices?

        1. Elmer Phud
          Black Helicopters

          Re: Well this is bollocks

          "iStuff are not devices?"

          Of course not!

          They are holy objects to be revered and worshipped and praised for the way that unexpected manna has arrived from above.

          (but what the Turd giveth the Turd taketh away)

        2. Dave Bell

          Re: Well this is bollocks

          It's not as if they planted it on any device

          iStuff are not devices?

          There are devices in Barad-dûr

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well this is bollocks

        This is just the start to a slippery slope of Apple spamming you loads of music, plonking then into your playlists.

        Basically turning your iDevice into a marketing platform. Enjoy it.

    2. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

      Re: Well this is bollocks

      It's in your LIBRARY, but not downloaded onto your device until you ask it to. A handy way of getting round the computer misuse act. All they've done is the equivalent of an unsolicited offer.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It hasn't appeared here yet

    If it does, I'm thinking about using the Computer Misuse Act or any other law that says "you stay the f*ck out of the data space of my devices". It's reputational damage too, actually. Ugh.

    Apple may still make reasonable products (albeit more Evolutionary than REvolutionary), but I really think their marketing people need to be replaced pronto. Whoever came up with this will be first against the wall when the revolution comes. Which explains the lack of it.

    Sorry, confused myself there.

    1. Elmer Phud
      Happy

      Re: It hasn't appeared here yet

      Have you checked your EULA?

      No, I mean really, really checked your EULA?

      Really, really, really?

      1. MrDamage Silver badge

        Have you checked your EULA?

        Is it clearly printer on the outside of the box?

        Do the sales-droids hand me a written copy to peruse prior to me handing over my hand earned money?

        No?

        Then under Australian consumer law, it is illegal, and unenforceable. All terms and conditions of a sale must, by law, be made apparent to the consumer prior to the point of purchase.

  8. stucs201

    They won't let me have it.

    Even though it's free they'll only download it if I give them current payment information. Mine is several debit cards an two house moves out of date. It can stay that way, my one iTunes purchase was the click-wheel version of Tetris in 2007.

    1. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

      Re: They won't let me have it.

      You've been able to select 'None' as a payment option for ohh... about the last 5 years. Then you can download free stuff or add an iTunes gift card.

      1. P. Lee

        Re: They won't let me have it.

        Is that dependent on having something later than snow leopard? As soon as I see a request for credit card details when I'm not in the middle of buying something, I hit cancel.

        I'd look again, but then I'd have to care.

        1. stucs201

          Re: They won't let me have it.

          Hadn't seen the none option. Could be useful if there is free stuff I do want in future. Not going to bother updating them with a valid address that they don't need though.

  9. This post has been deleted by its author

  10. stupormundi

    why this happen?

    Lovin the Irish Boy Band joke.

    As for why this happened. Last year, when they were about to elect a new pope, I was crossing my fingers that Bono would get it, as it was the position he'd been angling for all his life.

    Alas, some other guy got the gig, and Bono was left with nothing, having to look for new ways to penetrate people's butts, and voila: suprise U2 downloads.

  11. thesykes

    U2 and the iPhone. Both overrated, underwhelming and beloved of the media darlings, while most of the world's goes meh.

    1. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

      In fairness, they did some good stuff the 1990s.

      Replace the word "Apple" with "KFC" or "Philip Morris" in this story, and you see it for what it is - a large corporation sucking up to a popular musical act to try and get some feel-good.

      The "free" album deal is rumoured to have cost Tim Cook $100+ million, which just shows that Bono is still able to bullshit when it counts... The band's last album tanked (~1 million sales), yet still spawned a tour that drew 7.2 million punters. This one has already turned a profit (most of the costs of an album are in promotion and distribution), and that's before anyone has ordered the hats for the new tour... a tour that no doubt will be sponsored by iTunes.

  12. Wensleydale Cheese
    Happy

    To disable the download on OS X

    1. In Tunes Preferences select Store

    2. Uncheck "Show iTunes in the Cloud purchases"

    3. Wait until after 13th October when the U2 offer goes away before checking that box again

  13. Truth4u

    This is why I would never keep my music in the cloud.

    1. Taking away songs they don't agree with politically

    2. Adding shitty new songs you didn't ask for that you don't want.

    How about I keep the music I want on a file server I own? Apple finds my behaviour worrying because they can't fuck with my files even though they dearly wish to.

    OMG, you cant look at what music I have and work out what to sell me? It's such a fucking tragedy right? No, I will just figure out what music I like, on my own. How did humans cope with the burden of such weighty decisions before the corporation was invented?

    And if I need to be reminded to buy your album, maybe that's because it's shit?

  14. JonHendry

    It only downloads to your device if you have it set to download purchases

    The U2 album didn't show up on my iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

    My iTunes and my iOS devices are set to *not* download new purchases automatically, and are set to *not* show "purchases in the cloud" in my library. Cloud purchases are noted with a little cloud icon. They are tracks that haven't been downloaded, but which you are able to download if you wish.

    When I turned on display of "purchases in the cloud", the U2 album became visible, but still wasn't downloaded. Then I turned it off again and the album went away.

    If the tracks downloaded to your device, it's because you have your device configured to automatically download new purchases. If that's the case, I'm not sure you'd have a legal case against Apple for putting the files on your device.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    U2s album pushed into libraries of millions?

    The album isn't pushed into the iCloud libraries of millions, it's a link to the album, which is visible if you have "Show iTunes in the Cloud purchases" enabled. U2 net worth $838 million, highest grossing tour in 2011, bigger than the Rolling Stones, $700 million tickets sold over two years, total album sales 140 million. Apple $37.4 billion third quarter revenue and $7.7 billion profit.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Don't listen to those mp3 thingies

    Can I be expecting a CD in the post from Apple v soon..??

  17. Truth4u

    Did you see Bono's reaction in the newspaper?

    He played the Irish card. I'm paraphrasing but he said of those complaining: "they don't care that some Irish guys worked their asses off to make this music"

    WTF? No one was ever hating on them for being Irish, or even lazy. That essentially has nothing to do with why people are angry.

    It's obviously a big surprise to him that anyone complained. (And to Apple too, they don't employ a diverse range of people at all, how could they presume to speak for millions on a musical preference?) My reaction would have been more like "oh well I should have known, it takes more than freebies to make people try new genres".

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