Five years after it was shut down by the US Government, internet tycoon Kim Dotcom could be bringing back Megaupload.
Dotcom said he is planning to introduce Megaupload 2.0 streaming service in January 2017, marking five years since the US government raided his house and took down the original site amid piracy accusations.
“Megaupload comes back on January 20, 2017, the 5th anniversary of the raid. It will be better than the original and it will feel like home,” Kim Dotcom tweeted.
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Dotcom revealed that original Megaupload users will get their accounts back and have additional premium privileges along with expanded storage capacity and no data-transfer limits.
It was also hinted that the virtual currency bitcoin would be used in some way on the site, though it wasn’t stated exactly how.
The use of Bitcoin might be crucial for the new giant file-sharing service after PayPal’s decision to blacklist Dotcom-founded MEGA due to the website’s “unique encryption model.”
Kim Dotcom’s legal troubles began when an FBI-led investigation rendered charges of internet piracy and money laundering against Dotcom and his partners. The tycoon and three other colleagues were arrested on January 20, 2012.
Dotcom, who has New Zealand residency, has denied charges of internet piracy and money laundering and has been fighting extradition to the United States.
Megaupload was founded in 2005. The site’s popularity quickly surged, leading to over 150 million registered users and 50 million daily visitors at its peak. Megaupload has even reached the top 13 most frequently visited websites.
