By Sohaib Shams
U2 frontman Bono has acknowledged that the band "went too far" when their 2015 album "Songs of Innocence" was automatically added to over 500 million iTunes accounts worldwide without users' consent.
Backlash over automatic download
The release sparked a backlash as the album appeared in users' libraries whether they wanted it or not. Speaking to The New York Times, Bono said the band's former manager Paul McGuinness and late Apple co-founder Tim Cook both questioned the move, noting that U2 had spent their career convincing people to pay for music. Bono described the stunt as an experiment to see if a company would pay for their music and distribute it for free.
Band members defend risk-taking
Bassist The Edge defended the decision, saying the band must "take risks" and that failure is "part of the gig." Producer Flood, speaking in 2015, argued the episode raised important questions about how music is valued and whether listeners retain choice. Bono later compared the unwanted distribution to leaving a bottle of milk in every household's fridge, acknowledging that some people prefer to pour their own milk or are lactose intolerant.
