U2 will give it to you first and then ask permission later.
Will the public be so forgiving if Apple had agreed to do this with a new album from Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, or Michael Bolton?
It was never “given to you” even if you didn’t ask for it. It was a “download” that you could choose. You were alerted to the fact that it was available for you to download. If you didn’t want it “ever” ... then you could also delete that.
NOW ... if you were one of those users who ACCEPTED the choice on your device to “download anything and everything” no matter whether I want it or not ... then ... in that case, it would be downloaded. But, then if you made that choice, you were basically making a “stupid choice” ... the way I look at it. You chose, by your own clicking of the preferences to “download anything and everything” ... thus ... what do you expect when you get “anything and everything”?? ... LOL ...
Contrary to your assumption, Apple did NOT push the U2 album onto any one's computer or device. They merely made it FREE for anyone to download if they chose to do so. If you didn't want it, you just didn't download it.