Mega founder Kim Dotcom says he no longer trusts the encrypted cloud storage service he launched with great fanfare in 2013.
Dotcom unveiled Mega.co.nz a year to the day after the infamous raid on his rented Coatesville mansion, which saw his previous site, Megaupload, shut down.
More than two years on he no longer has any involvement with the service, now operating as mega.nz, which provides users encrypted cloud storage – meaning no one, not even Mega, can know what they are storing.
In a question-and-answer sessions with readers of tech news site Slashdot, Dotcom said not only is he no longer involved in Mega in any way, but encouraged readers not to use it.
"The company has suffered from a hostile takeover by a Chinese investor who is wanted in China for fraud," said Dotcom.
"He used a number of straw-men and businesses to accumulate more and more Mega shares. Recently his shares have been seized by the NZ government. Which means the NZ government is in control."
According to the Companies Office the biggest shareholder in Mega is Beijing-based Zhi Min Li, who owns 25.9 percent of the company. He's followed by TEY Trustee Limited with 16 percent, Wolf Dieter Ortmann with 15.6 percent and Coatesville Trustee Services Ltd, with 15.5 percent.
Dotcom's ex-partner Mona is listed as a director of Coatesville Trustee Services, but Dotcom says these shares have been seized by "Hollywood".
"In addition Hollywood has seized all the Megashares [sic] in the family trust that was setup for my children," says Dotcom. "As a result of this and a number of other confidential issues I don't trust Mega anymore. I don't think your data is safe on Mega anymore."
Mega.nz says while there is a court-ordered freeze on the shares controlled by Ms Dotcom, it says the "authorities responsible for maintaining the order have not opposed or interfered in any of Mega's operations".
"Mega views Mr Dotcom's defamatory comments as self-serving and designed simply to spruik his supposed new business venture," the company told 3 News in a statement.
"They are inconsistent with his previous desire to ensure that the shareholding in Mega remains a valuable asset for his children and reflect just how completely Mr Dotcom and Mega have now moved apart if he can make such an unwarranted and irresponsible, defamatory attack."
Mega says while Dotcom was involved in founding the company, he did not design any of its technology and hasn't had any managerial roles since October 2013.
Dotcom is sticking by a non-compete clause he has with the current management at Mega, which runs out at the end of the year. He then plans to start a new cloud storage site.
"I will create a Mega competitor that is completely open source and non-profit, similar to the Wikipedia model. I want to give everyone free, unlimited and encrypted cloud storage with the help of donations from the community to keep things going."
In the Q&A Dotcom also called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement "corrupt… paid for by the lobbyists of the rich, bribing politicians to do their bidding in expanding monopolies to the detriment of the people".
He also said the Internet Party will fight the 2017 election alone. Last year it formed an unsuccessful alliance with Mana.
"We all knew that it was risky but we had to try. It didn't work out and I took full responsibility for that.
"In 2017 the Internet Party will run again, solo. We will have more time to prepare for the election and work hard to convince the electorate that we are worthy of making it into Parliament."
Other topics the internet tycoon touches on in the chat include Call of Duty, his legal battles with the US and copyright law.
3 News
