Kim Dotcom enters politics in New Zealand

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Kim Dotcom, who is accused by the United States of being one of the biggest hackers in the history of the Internet, announced on Thursday the creation of a political party that will present its candidates in the legislative elections scheduled for next September in New Zealand.

His party, the Internet Party, will campaign for faster and cheaper Internet access, creating jobs in the high-tech sector and protecting privacy.

In a press release, Kim Dotcom, known as Kim Schmitz, said he was targeting abstainers, “those who are disappointed by the election or who do not recognize themselves in the political show.”

“It is a movement for those who care about the digital future and want an open, free and fair society,” he adds.

Kim Dotcom, founder of MegaUpload, a now-shuttered file-sharing site, has been under surveillance since 2012 and faces an extradition request by US authorities.

Born in Germany but living in New Zealand since 2010, he has the right to vote in his country of residence, but cannot run in elections yet. To do this, he will need to obtain New Zealand citizenship.

(Giles Beckford; Henri Pierre André for the French Service)