Russian Pol Accuses Apple of Distributing Gay Pornography

Ongoing tensions between tech giant Apple and Russia continued this week when a politician from the country's rightwing LDPR party complained that the iPhone maker was knowingly distributing gay pornography.

The Guardian reported Russian Duma deputy Alexander Starovoitov is claiming that artwork for U2's "Songs of Innocence" album, which was controversially "gifted" in a forced download to more than 500,000 iTunes customers worldwide in September, is pornographic in nature.

The "pornographic" artwork at the center of the controversy features U2's drummer, Larry Mullen Jr., shirtless and hugging his 18-year-old son, Elvis, who is also shirtless. While the group says the photo is a visual metaphor for, "how holding on to your own innocence is a lot harder than holding on to someone else's," the theme was lost on the Russian politician who said the image promotes sex between men.

"I, like many Russian citizens, own an iPhone. In 2014, the band U2 forced my phone to download their new album," Starovoitov said. "Their cover album depicts two men, which in my view, depicts the expression of a non-traditional sexual relationship to each other."

He is ready to sue the tech giant for compensation for moral damages on behalf of his own son.

If Apple is convicted of distributing gay propaganda, the company could be forced to cease operations in Russia for 90 days or pay a fine of up to 1 million roubles ($20,000). Chump change for Apple, given the fact that according to Cult of Mac, the company is worth more than the entire Russian stock market.

While Apple products remain popular in Russia, the company's image has been controversial in the anti-gay country since its CEO Tim Cook came out in 2014.

In November, it was reported that a six-foot tall giant iPhone, which graced a public square in St. Petersburg since 2013 as a tribute to Apple founder Steve Jobs, was dismantled and sold off.

Recently, ' target='_blank'>it was reported that a "bug" was discovered in the Russian language version of Apple's virtual assistant Siri that many viewed as being intentionally homophobic.

In a video posted to YouTube channel "Comrade Siri," a user identified as "Alex" used the Russian word for "gay" in a few queries to the digital personal assistant.

"Siri, are there gay clubs around me?" he asked, to which his iPad's Siri replied, "I would have turned red, if I could."

Similarly, when he asked how to register for gay marriage in the U.K., his iPad's Siri replied: "I will pretend I haven't heard it."

When he simply asked about gay marriage, Siri said, "Alex, you are so rude!"