All you Internet pirates out there might have a reason to jump up for joy today.
Kim Dotcom—owner of the famously indicted file-sharing website Megaupload—launched a new site today.
With the appropriately-titled "Mega," Dotcom is promising users amped-up privacy levels in a defiant move against the U.S. prosecutors who accuse him of facilitating massive online piracy, according to Huffington Post.
He launched the site a year to the day of his arrest on racketeering charges related to Megaupload, holding a gala and press conference at his New Zealand mansion. He even made light of the situation, featuring a re-enactment of the dramatic raid on his home.
So, how will Mega avoid the same fate as Megaupload? Here's how it works: The decryption keys for uploaded files are held by the users, not Mega, which means the company can't see what's in the files being shared. Dotcom argues that Mega – which bills itself as "the privacy company" – therefore can't be held liable for content it cannot see.
Megaupload is remembered as one of the most popular sites on the Web, until U.S. prosecutors shut it down for facilitating millions of illegal downloads. Dotcom claims half a million users have already registered for Mega in its first 14 hours.
We recommend you download your music legally, but we're also not stupid. With that said, will you be using Mega?
