Kim Dotcom to launch Megaupload 2.0 in 2017
Kim Dotcom is a difficult man to ignore, and he's all set to get right back in your face after lurking in the shadows for a few months. In a series of tweets over the weekend, the German technology troublemaker announced that his file sharing service Megaupload is due to relaunch in 2017 -- on the fifth anniversary of a police raid.
Known as Megaupload 2.0 (remember the 2.0 phenomenon?), the platform is expected to appear on 20 January next year. Dotcom has previously expressed something of a passion for Bitcoin, and this looks set to continue with the relaunch -- complete with 100GB of free storage and on-the-fly encryption.
Dotcom tweeted: "Did you miss Megaupload? It's coming back my friends. Bigger and better than ever" and followed up with a series of tweets over the next few days with the hashtag #5thRaidAnniversary. If you've used Megaupload in the past, you should expect to receive an email soon. Dotcom says that: "Most Megaupload accounts will be reinstated with Premium privileges on the new Megaupload", and he expects "100m users on day 1".
With the previous venture, Mega, having been bought by a Chinese company, and the general concerns about privacy and surveillance, Dotcom is quick to try to calm concerns that users may have, saying that no legacy code will be used:
Obviously Megaupload 2.0 will not host servers in the United States or use domains under US control. Avoiding the Mass Surveillance Empire.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) July 7, 2016
Referring to Bitcoin, there was something of an interesting announcement:
I can tell you that Megaupload and Bitcoin had sex. There is a pregnancy and I have a feeling that the baby will be such a joy.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) July 10, 2016
Quite what this means remains to be seen.
If you're interested in gaining access to the service before it launches next year, Dotcom says beta access is available:
Everyone who tweets...#Megaupload is coming back.
...will get beta access to the new site before launch.
Follow me for coupon DM.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) July 11, 2016
Photo credit: Kim Dotcom