The Internet Party is the name of digital entrepreneur Kim Dotcom’s new political party, giving you little reason to guess what one of its main concerns will be. Much of it will be focused around improving the online privacy of individuals, restricting the spying capabilities (legally, not technologically) of intelligence agencies, as well as providing New Zealanders with better access to cheaper, faster internet.
The announcement came from – where else – Dotcom’s Twitter account, where he denied earlier rumours about the party’s name and also revealed its logo: “My new political party won’t be named Mega Party. We are the Internet Party. Here’s our logo for the first time.”
We first heard about Dotcom’s political aims last year when he discussed contesting elections in 2014. However he made it clear at the time that he wouldn’t be running himself, just helping to run the party. It also coincided with him stepping down as director of the file locker company, Mega.
He’s also made it clear from his recent announcement that the Internet Party would not be launching at his upcoming birthday celebration Party Party, which will also launch his new album and commemorate the two year anniversary of his arrest during the raid on his home that saw his assets seized and Megaupload shut down.
KitGuru Says: While I’m not sure how much success Dotcom will have in terms of getting someone into power, he does have a bit of a Robin Hood image these days. Perhaps he’ll at least be able to draw attention to the issues of privacy and internet freedoms in New Zealand – he’s certainly helped do that in the rest of the world.