Read the full transcript of internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom’s interview on The Tucker Carlson Show, August 7, 2026.
EDITOR’S NOTES: In this exclusive conversation, Tucker Carlson interviews Kim Dotcom—the world-renowned hacker, internet entrepreneur, and Megaupload founder—who has firsthand experience as a target of intense government surveillance and a decade-long extradition battle. Dotcom delivers a stark warning about the erosion of digital privacy, the role of AI in mass data collection and propaganda, and the broader implications for free speech, global conflicts, and even Donald Trump’s agenda. What follows is a candid and unsettling discussion on the hidden systems shaping our world.
Government Surveillance of Citizens
Tucker Carlson: Kim Dotcom, thank you very much. Thank you very much for doing this. How much privacy do we have as citizens of New Zealand or the United States?
Kim Dotcom: Not much, because the government is surveilling everybody.
Tucker Carlson: How are they doing that?
Kim Dotcom: They have massive surveillance programs that are designed to catch every phone call, video call, everything you do.
Tucker Carlson: What is the purpose of that? Why are they surveilling their own populations?
Kim Dotcom: Because they can create a profile of their citizens and then use the data to basically put the people in categories and influence them as well. So it’s not just surveillance, it’s also mind-altering in terms of elections or something.
Tucker Carlson: Okay, so you believe the government is tailoring its propaganda to the population based on profiles that they’ve assembled like Facebook does for advertising?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. So if they want, for example, support for war, they can use this system to convince people.
Tucker Carlson: Interesting. How do you get out of it? How do you find privacy in a panopticon like this?
Kim Dotcom: Don’t be connected to the internet. It’s the only way.
Tucker Carlson: Don’t be. But if you’re not connected to the internet, then you can’t communicate with people except in your living room.
Kim Dotcom: It’s true, but it’s a high price to pay if you’re online. You have to know that everything you do is being watched and listened to.
Why There Is No Escape From Surveillance
Tucker Carlson: Why is there no way out? Why is there no phone or laptop or tablet that allows me to communicate with you without being spied on?
Kim Dotcom: Because the US government has a lot of fingers in the technology. So every website that you visit, every tool that you use, every hardware that you use is controlled by the US government.
Tucker Carlson: So this is not a new phenomenon. You were indicted, I think, in 2011, 2012, a long time ago. Is that— what year was it?
Kim Dotcom: In 2012.
Tucker Carlson: Yeah, 2012. So 14 years ago, what you were doing, you’re basically allowing people to upload large files privately on the internet. I think that’s what you were doing. And that was so threatening that the US government tried to put you in prison.
Kim Dotcom: No, what was really threatening was I gave money to WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. So the US government saw me as a person of interest because of that. And everything that followed is because of my support for the truth.
Tucker Carlson: Yeah. For Julian Assange.
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. And what did Julian— came out with the video “Collateral Murder.” Maybe you remember that. I was touched by it and gave a lot of money to WikiLeaks.
Tucker Carlson: And then what happened after you did that?
Kim Dotcom: I was charged with copyright infringement. So what my users uploaded to my website, they said I’m responsible for that.
Tucker Carlson: But wouldn’t Facebook be responsible for every criminal who uses a Meta product? Wouldn’t Google be responsible for any criminal who uses their search engine? I mean, this is a new— I’ve never heard of this principle before.
The Charges Against Kim Dotcom
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. The big difference is they did not give money to WikiLeaks. So what did they charge you with and what was the penalty? They charged me with RICO acts. So they not only say I’m a criminal because I allowed people to use my websites for infringement, they said I planned it with other people.
Tucker Carlson: And what were the penalties for this?
Kim Dotcom: Oh, they want to put me in jail for 186 years.
Tucker Carlson: I’m sorry to laugh. 186 years for copyright infringement?
Kim Dotcom: Oh no, that’s what you get if you support Julian Assange.
Tucker Carlson: Well, I do support Julian Assange, so I hope that’s not coming for me. So whatever happened to the charges?
Kim Dotcom: Oh, they want to extradite me from New Zealand to the United States.
Tucker Carlson: Are they still trying to do that?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. Even after my stroke, they’re still trying to do that.
Tucker Carlson: Are you worried that they’ll be able to?
Kim Dotcom: Oh, they would want to. I have no doubt. But I don’t know if they can because I’m not the same person anymore after my stroke. So if they really want to go ahead, they are up for a big challenge.
Encrypted Communications and Government Backdoors
Tucker Carlson: What would happen if you were to use your money to build a phone that was truly private, that the US government could not listen to?
Kim Dotcom: I did something like that when I was still the creator of Mega. So I had an encrypted communication tool, but now whoever is running Mega is no longer trustworthy.
Tucker Carlson: But why hasn’t anyone done that? I mean, it seems like the one thing we could use to regain our freedom is a communications— a simple communications device that’s actually private.
Kim Dotcom: In the US, you can’t. So if you put out an encrypted device, then the government will just send you a letter saying you have to give us a backdoor or go to jail.
This is legally possible in the US. The government can just send you a letter to say, “Give me a backdoor.”
Tucker Carlson: And what if you say no?
Kim Dotcom: They put you in jail.
Tucker Carlson: So it is illegal in the United States to communicate privately?
Kim Dotcom: It’s illegal, yeah. They say you have freedom of speech, but you don’t. It’s a joke.
Tucker Carlson: Does any country have freedom of speech?
Kim Dotcom: You have a certain degree of freedom of speech, but it’s not like it used to be, where your privacy is protected. Under the UN Charter, we are all protected. The US just doesn’t care. And because the US— we know this from Edward Snowden— is spying on everybody, everyone else is too.
Are Any Communications Apps Truly Secure?
Tucker Carlson: I’m not sure most Americans understand any of this. Are any communications apps— Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, or any of them— actually secure?
Kim Dotcom: No.
Tucker Carlson: Not even Signal?
Kim Dotcom: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Signal is the worst.
Tucker Carlson: What? How is Signal the worst?
Kim Dotcom: Because everyone is using it and the US government is laughing because they have a big door.
Tucker Carlson: But I mean, people with— I happen to know— with real secrets use Signal and they’re convinced that no one can hear or read them on Signal. But they’re wrong. You’re sure of that?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. Signal is not secure. There’s nothing I would recommend other than not using any communication tools. At all.
Tucker Carlson: Really? So if you wanted to, I don’t know, organize resistance to tyranny, you couldn’t?
Kim Dotcom: No, you can’t. All the tools are being watched.
The Threat of AI and Mass Data Collection
Tucker Carlson: How will AI change this picture?
Kim Dotcom: AI is very dangerous because it will get access to the US database for this kind of data mining. So the AI will know everything about everybody.
Tucker Carlson: And there’s no way to stop that?
Kim Dotcom: Don’t have AI, don’t have internet. It’s the only way.
Tucker Carlson: Why is the US planning on building so many data centers?
Kim Dotcom: It’s already building huge data centers because it collects about 10 petabytes of data a day. So it’s a lot. All communications, everything.
Tucker Carlson: So why is the United States building so many more data centers than China is? Do you know?
Kim Dotcom: You can’t say that because you’re being told that. China is not far behind the US when it comes to AI. You’re only being told that. It’s propaganda. Obama made it legal to propagandize US citizens. So you can’t believe anything they say.
Media Control and Independent Journalism
Tucker Carlson: Are American media outlets part of that effort to propagandize the public?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah, of course. Whoever controls them controls the public. So any access to the media today is controlled.
Tucker Carlson: In the US, there’s been a rise of independent media. Some of them have big platforms, reach a lot of people, and they’re having conversations like this. They’re against the program. How long can that last, do you think?
Kim Dotcom: It’s okay that there’s independent media and you are one of them. So it’s really good to have you, but there will be a crackdown sooner or later on everybody that is still not controlled.
Tucker Carlson: And what can people do to fight back against that crackdown?
Kim Dotcom: Not much. The power of the government is very strong, so there’s not much you can do about it.
Tucker Carlson: You don’t seem very hopeful. Are you?
Kim Dotcom: It’s a reality. What can I tell you? It’s the truth.
Direct Democracy as a Solution
Tucker Carlson: Are there any free countries, or what is the freest country, do you think, right now, where people can say what they think with the most latitude?
Kim Dotcom: I think Switzerland is very good. Because they have direct democracy, not a representative democracy. So the people decide. It is people power. I bring that into New Zealand this election. So with the Freedom Party, we will have direct democracy available here.
Tucker Carlson: Do you think that direct democracy will spread to other countries?
Kim Dotcom: I think it’s the only way because politicians are not honest people. They only look for how to make a lot of money. So direct democracy is the answer.
America’s Decline and Global Conflict
Tucker Carlson: Do you think that the war in Iran will change America’s place in the world? What does the world look like in 10 years?
Kim Dotcom: The US is struggling to remain number one. The unipolar system that the US had for many decades, they are fighting for it. But the US has too much debt, they’re going down. There’s nothing that can prevent that. So I think in the next few years, we will see a lot of negative things in the world because of that.
Tucker Carlson: What kind of negative things?
Kim Dotcom: The West is highly dependent on the US not going under. The war in Ukraine will be lost. The war in Iran will be lost. The USA will go into a big depression because of the debt. I think financially the world is heading into turmoil.
Tucker Carlson: How is the war in Ukraine resolved? What does that look like?
Kim Dotcom: It looks like now on the battlefield. Russia will win against Ukraine, and I don’t think there will be a settlement.
Tucker Carlson: Do you believe that NATO will continue to attack Russia?
Kim Dotcom: I think the attacks on Russia will continue for many years. I don’t see the US and Europe giving up. So I think what Russia has to prepare for is a bigger war.
Tucker Carlson: A bigger war directly with the United States and Europe?
Kim Dotcom: With Europe, yeah.
The Future of War, Democracy, and Kim Dotcom’s Fight Against Extradition
Tucker Carlson: You think that this will evolve or devolve into a direct conflict between NATO and Russia, where Russia is hitting Europe, Europe is hitting Russia.
Kim Dotcom: Yeah, I think so.
Tucker Carlson: And who wins?
Kim Dotcom: Russia, of course, because Europe has no armies. NATO is a toothless tiger. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: Why would the Western powers, why would NATO want a war with Russia? I’ve never understood that.
Kim Dotcom: The alternative is the US loses, and if the US loses, it will go down. The West has invested a lot in the US, so all the debt is owned by debtors. Europe is a big debtor to the United States. So if the US stock markets, for example, go down, all the European companies that are listed in the US are also going down. So we are talking about a loss of maybe trillions. It’s not something that the West can do. They want to prevent the US from going under.
Tucker Carlson: I think I understand that, and I’d like to see the US not go under also, but I think they’re accelerating the destruction of the United States. This is having the opposite effect. If you wanted to wreck the US and bring the empire to its knees in the most humiliating, painful, expensive way, this is what you would do.
Kim Dotcom: Yeah, but the debt has now reached levels that are unsustainable. So it’s just a matter of time. To run the US government costs $20 billion a day. It’s impossible.
Tucker Carlson: It’s impossible. That’s right. What is the end of the Iran War? What does that look like?
Kim Dotcom: Iran will win because the US has no weapons and no army to invade. You wonder where all the military money went because the US has the biggest budget for the military, yet they can’t invade. So I think Iran will win here.
Tucker Carlson: And then what happens to the United States? Does the US get out of the Middle East?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. Yeah.
On American Democracy and Electronic Voting
Tucker Carlson: What happens to American politics? What direction does it go, do you think, from your perspective?
Kim Dotcom: I think the only way to save America is for the people to vote directly, not through politicians. The only way I think to save America is a direct democracy.
Tucker Carlson: Yeah. Do you think electronic voting machines are honest and reflect the will of the people, the votes that go into them?
Kim Dotcom: I don’t trust them. Yeah, I don’t trust them because they are able to be manipulated. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: You say that as fact. You know for certain that electronic voting machines can be manipulated?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah, they can.
Tucker Carlson: So why does the US still have them?
Kim Dotcom: Waiting for the right time to use them, I think.
The Nuclear Threat and Kim Dotcom’s Move to New Zealand
Tucker Carlson: Yes. So that’s kind of grim. Do you see a risk of a nuclear exchange? In Ukraine?
Kim Dotcom: Exactly. Because if the US goes down, what is left? $39 trillion of debt can never be paid back. So it may take the rest of the world down with it. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: And so how do you get to nuclear weapons from there? Who uses nuclear weapons, do you think?
Kim Dotcom: I think the US first against Iran and then against the world. Yeah, primarily Russia and China. But I saw this coming. This is the reason why I am in New Zealand. Because it’s in the middle of nowhere.
Tucker Carlson: It is the middle of nowhere. When did you see this coming?
Kim Dotcom: I don’t know. Could be many years, could be tomorrow. I don’t know.
Tucker Carlson: But you saw this years ago. You believed this was going to happen.
Kim Dotcom: Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah, I did. I brought my family to safety. Yeah. Whatever is safe.
Tucker Carlson: Are you safe?
Kim Dotcom: I don’t know. Maybe if I’m extradited to the US, I will die in a nuclear holocaust, I think.
Tucker Carlson: Oh, so you’re certain that’s coming?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah.
Israel, Nuclear Weapons, and Julian Assange
Tucker Carlson: Do you think it’s likely that Israel uses nuclear weapons?
Kim Dotcom: Possibly. Why does Israel have nuclear weapons in the first place? Because they spied on the US for the technology and then they started their own nuclear program. Everybody in the world knows that they have nuclear weapons, yet they go to war against Iraq, against Iran, trying to prevent them from having nuclear weapons. The first country that should give up nuclear weapons is Israel. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: I don’t think they’re going to.
Kim Dotcom: No, of course not.
Tucker Carlson: Can you explain — you said at the outset that you were indicted and now they’re trying to extradite you because you supported Julian Assange.
Kim Dotcom: Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: Julian Assange famously printed American secret documents and videos on WikiLeaks on the internet, but the US government seemed very focused on killing him. Why was he such a threat?
Kim Dotcom: Because he was telling the truth and he got in the way of the plans of the US deep state. So anything that he has in terms of support was attacked.
On Trump, the Deep State, and Nuclear War
Tucker Carlson: Yeah. Why do you think Donald Trump, after spending 10 years saying he wouldn’t start a regime change war with Iran, did in February start a regime change war with Iran?
Kim Dotcom: Donald Trump is a big liar. So anything he says, he just said to become president. I wouldn’t believe a word he says. He’s the biggest liar in the world.
Tucker Carlson: What do you think his goal is? What’s his agenda? Why is he doing this?
Kim Dotcom: I think he wants to become more than the president of the United States. He wants to make history. I think a nuclear war with him is very likely because of his narcissism and his character flaws. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: But starting a nuclear war would eliminate everybody. I mean, there would be no history after that.
Kim Dotcom: Yeah, but he is 80 years old, so he’s looking for the exit.
Tucker Carlson: And you think nuclear war is the exit?
Kim Dotcom: Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: Is there anything that can be done to stop that?
Kim Dotcom: Not much. A revolt, maybe a revolution in the United States. Not have a fool like Trump be president.
Tucker Carlson: Do you think the deep state agrees with Trump on the question of using nuclear weapons?
Kim Dotcom: You need to understand one thing: the deep state has a big budget for keeping Russia and China surveilled. So if they no longer have the enemy of Russia and China, the US deep state loses 40% of the budget. So they need to keep Russia and China their eternal enemy to make money. Yes.
Tucker Carlson: Yeah. So really a nuclear war is not in anybody’s interest.
Kim Dotcom: No. Of course not.
Europe’s Future and Kim Dotcom’s Extradition Battle
Tucker Carlson: No, of course not. Do you think that Europe, where you’re from — you’re obviously German — does Europe have a future as European?
Kim Dotcom: If they make peace with Russia, yes. If they cut ties with the US, yes. If the US keeps them as vassal states, they have no chance to survive. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: Do you believe Putin is secure in his job?
Kim Dotcom: Putin has over 80% approval rating in Russia, so I think he’s pretty safe. Yeah.
Tucker Carlson: He’s pretty safe. And last question — how have you been able to keep from being extradited when New Zealand is a small country without a meaningful military? The United States wants to extradite you. How have you been able to convince the authorities in Auckland not to send you to the United States?
Kim Dotcom: Not convince the authorities. It’s a process. I’m fighting extradition wherever I can. So my lawyers are fighting it and using the process to fight it because that’s all I can do.
Tucker Carlson: Yeah. Well, we’re rooting for you and for the world. Kim Dotcom, thank you. I know you don’t do a lot of interviews, and so I’m grateful you did this one. Yeah. And thanks.
Kim Dotcom: No problem, Tucker. Great to see you. Thank you.
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