In short
Kim Dotcom argues governments run pervasive mass surveillance that enables citizen profiling, election manipulation, and propaganda; he claims electronic voting machines can be manipulated; he warns AI and data centers will intensify data mining; he predicts escalating wars (Ukraine/Iran) and a possible nuclear exchange, with the U.S. as the primary risk. He also advocates direct democracy and distrusts major media and major communication apps.
Guests
Kim Dotcom (German-born internet entrepreneur/activist; founder of Megaupload; indicted and later targeted by the U.S.; supports Julian Assange/WikiLeaks; says he was charged with RICO and faced extreme prison time; currently in New Zealand after a stroke; fighting U.S. extradition).
Key claims
“Don’t use internet/communications tools” is the only privacy; Signal/WhatsApp/iMessage aren’t secure; U.S. controls tech via “bots”; AI will access U.S. databases; electronic voting machines are manipulable; nuclear war risk is “very likely.”
Notable examples
Megaupload file-sharing case; alleged charge tied to supporting Assange; reference to “Collateral Murder” video; claims about U.S. data centers collecting “10 petabytes a day.”
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOSurveillance and Control Mechanisms
0:45 to 2:48
Exploration of government surveillance tactics and their implications on privacy.
“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.”
The Impact of Supporting WikiLeaks
2:48 to 4:35
Discussion on Kim Dotcom's legal troubles stemming from his support of WikiLeaks.
“So every website that you visit, every tool that you use, every hardware that you use is controlled by the U.S.”
Challenges of Secure Communication
4:35 to 6:42
Examination of the difficulties in achieving private communication in the U.S.
“But wouldn't Facebook be responsible for every criminal who uses a meta product?”
The Illusion of Secure Communication Apps
10:32 to 14:08
Debate over the effectiveness of popular communication apps in providing security.
“I'm not sure most Americans understand any of this.”
The Rise of Independent Media
14:08 to 18:10
Learn about the growing influence of independent media and the challenges they face.
“So in the U.S., there's been a rise of independent media.”
Predictions of Global Turmoil
18:10 to 20:09
Explore predictions regarding global conflicts and the declining power of the U.S.
“Do you believe that NATO will continue to attack Russia?”
Nuclear Threats and Electronic Voting
20:09 to 28:00
Discussion on the risks of nuclear conflict and the integrity of electronic voting machines.
“Ever get the feeling that your phone is listening to you?”
Nuclear Weapons and Global Conflicts
28:00 to 29:15
Discussion on the paradox of countries with nuclear weapons engaging in war against others seeking them.
“that they have nuclear weapons, yet they go to war against Iraq, against Iran, trying to prevent them from having nuclear weapons.”
Julian Assange and Truth-Telling
29:15 to 30:29
Exploration of Julian Assange's impact and perceived threat to the U.S. government.
“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?”
Trump's Agenda and Nuclear Threats
30:29 to 31:34
Analysis of Trump's motivations and the potential for nuclear conflict under his leadership.
“But starting a nuclear war would eliminate everybody.”
Show all 12 chapters
The Deep State and Global Surveillance
31:34 to 32:44
Discussion on the deep state's financial interests in maintaining Russia and China's status as enemies.
“The deep state has a big budget for keeping Russia and China surveilled.”
Europe's Future and Extradition Battles
32:44 to 33:58
Contemplation on Europe's geopolitical future and Kim Dotcom's legal struggles against extradition.
“Do you believe Putin is secure in his job?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:04Kim 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? Not much, because the government is surveilling everybody. Yeah. How are they doing that? They have mass surveillance programs that are designed to catch every phone call, video call, everything you do. What is the purpose of that? Why are they surveilling their own populations? 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.
1:09is also mind-eisling in terms of elections or something. 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. Yeah. So if they want, for example, support for war, they can use this system to convince people. Interesting. How do you get out of it? How do you find privacy in a panopticon like this? Don't be connected to the internet. it's the only way yeah but if you're not connected to the internet then you can't communicate with people except in your living room 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 Why is there no way out?
2:31Why is there no phone or laptop or tablet that allows me to communicate with you without being spied on?
2:42Because the U.S. 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 U.S. government bots. So this is not a new phenomenon. You were indicted, I think, in 2011, 2012, a long time ago. Zach, what year was it? In 2005, 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 U.S. government tried to put you in prison. What was really threatening was I gave money to WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
3:45so the u.s government saw me as a person of interest because of that and everything that followed is because of my support for the truth yeah for julian assange yeah and when julian came out with a video collateral murder maybe you remember that i was touched by it and gave a lot of money to wikileaks and then what happened after you did that i was charged with copyright infringement so what my users uploaded to my website they said I'm responsible for that. 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?
4:50I mean, this is a new, I've never heard of this principle before. Yeah. The big difference is they did not give money to Wikileaks. or Julia. So what did they charge you with and what was the penalty? They charged me with a RICOX. 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. Stupid. And what were the penalties for this? Oh, they want to put me in jail for 186 years. I'm sorry to laugh. 186 years for copyright infringement? No, that's what you get if you support Julian Assange. Well, I do support Julian Assange, so I hope that's not coming for me.
6:00So whatever happened to the charges? Oh, they want to extradite me from New Zealand to the United States. Are they still trying to do that? Yeah. Even after my stroke, they are still trying to do that. Are you worried that they'll be able to? 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. What would happen if you were to use your money to build a phone that was truly private, that the U.S. government could not listen to? I did something like that when I was still the creator of MAKA.
7:10So I had an encrypted communication tool, but now who's running MAKA is no longer trustworthy.
7:25But 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. In the U.S., 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 big door or go to jail. You know, this is legally possible in the U.S. The government can just send you a letter to say, give me a big door. And what if you say no? They put you in jail. So it is illegal in the United States to communicate privately? It's illegal, yeah. No, they say you have freedom of speech, but you don't.
8:23You know, it's a joke. Does any country have freedom of speech?
8:31you have a certain degrees of freedom of speech but it's not like it used to be you know where your privacy is protected under the UN charter we are all protected you know the US doesn't care and because the US we know this from Edward Snowden it's fine on everybody everyone else is you know we're often assured that Christians are safe in the Holy Land is that true? well the descendants of the very first Christians these are families who have worshipped in the land of Jesus for centuries for millennia are now facing enormous pressure to flee their own homes war and anti-Christian and terrorism are driving them out, and untold numbers of innocent people are left feeling lost and without hope.
9:32This is why we are truly, genuinely proud to support the Vulnerable People Project. VPP is one of the very few organizations in the world consistently helping vulnerable Christians throughout the Holy Land, not hurting them, not lying to them, not trying to ethnically cleanse them, but helping them for real. Because of the generosity of our audience, VPP raised enough support to host a Bible summer camp for the children of Tabay. We saw pictures from that camp. It's an amazing sight, and we're really proud to be part of it. This work makes a real difference in the lives of good people, but it's not possible without support from people like you.
10:07A gift of just$33 provides a day of protection and support for vulnerable Christians in the West Bank. A monthly gift of$83 helps sustain that protection all month long. We hope you will visit SaveWestBankChristians.com and stand with Christians in the Holy Land, the place where Christianity began, the land that Jesus walked. That's SaveWestBankChristians.com. Thanks.
10:35I'm not sure most Americans understand any of this. Are any communications apps, Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, or any of them actually secure? No. Not even Signal? No, no, no, not at all. Signal is the worst. How is Signal the worst? Because everyone is using it. And the U.S. government is laughing because they have a big door. Yeah. 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? Yeah. So signals not secure. There's nothing I would recommend other than not using any communication tools at all.
11:34Really? So if you wanted to, I don't know, organize resistance to tyranny, you couldn't? No, you can't. Have you given up? No, it's true. You can't because all the tools are being watched. How will AI change this picture? AI is very dangerous because it will get access to the U.S. database for this kind of data mining. So the AI will know everything about everybody. And there's no way to stop that? Don't have AI. Don't have internet. It's the only way. Why is the U.S. planning on building so many data centers? it's already building huge data centers because it takes it collects about 10 petabyte of data a day so it's a lot yeah all communications everything So why is the United States building so many more data centers than China is?
13:10Do you know?
13:13You can't say that because you're being told that. You know, China is not far behind the U.S. when it comes to AI. You're only being told that it's propaganda. You know, Obama made it legal to propagandize U.S. citizens. So you can't believe anything they say. Are American media outlets part of that effort to propagandize the public? Yeah, of course. You know, whoever controls them controls the public. So any access to the media today is controlled. So in the U.S., there's been a rise of independent media. Some of them have big platforms, reach a lot of people, and they're, well, having conversations like this.
14:18They're against the program. How long can that last, do you think? it's okay that there's independent media and you are one of them so it's really good to have you you know but there will be a crackdown sooner or later on everybody that is still not controlled Yeah. And what can people do to fight back against that crackdown? Not much. You see the power of the government is very strong. So there's not much you can do about it. You don't seem very hopeful, are you? It's a reality. What can it tell you is the truth, yeah? 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?
15:25I think Switzerland is very good, yeah, Switzerland, because they have Dalek democracy, not a representative democracy, so the people decide. It's people power. I bring that in to New Zealand, this election. So with the Freedom Party, we will have direct democracy available here. Do you think that direct democracy will spread to other countries? I think it's the only way because politicians are not honest people. They only look for how to make a lot of money, you know. So direct democracy is the answer. 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?
16:35so the u.s is struggling to remain number one you know the unipolar system that the u.s had for many decades they are fighting for it but the US is 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. What kind of negative things? So So the West is highly dependent on the U.S. not going under. You know, the war in Ukraine will be lost. The war in Iran will be lost. USA will go into a big depression because of the debt. I think financially the world is heading into turmoil. How is the war in Ukraine resolved?
17:58What does that look like? It looks like now on the battlefield, you know. So Russia will win against Ukraine and I don't think there will be a settlement. Do you believe that NATO will continue to attack Russia?
18:22I think the attacks on Russia will continue for many years. I don't see the U.S. and Europe giving up. So I think what Russia has to prepare for is a bigger war. A bigger war directly with the United States and Europe? With Europe, yeah. Eating right is pretty important, but it's hard if you live here. About half of the American diet is ultra-processed foods, and that hurts you. Fake food harms your body, your mind, and especially your liver. So people think that feeling sluggish and foggy and bloated is just what it is to be older, but that's not true. Eating crap makes you feel that way. Well, our friends at Dose have a solution.
19:18It's called Dose for Your Liver. This doctor-approved plant-based liver supplement is clinically proven to promote liver function and lower liver enzyme levels. That means you're less bloated, less tired. You feel more like yourself. All you need to do is take a daily two-ounce shot. Tastes like orange juice. An easy shot of liquid is not the vax. People we know use Dose for Your Liver and they have seen rapid results in their blood work and they feel much, much better. The difference is very obvious. Lots of brands claim to support liver health, but do so before their products have gone through testing.
19:52This has been tested. Everything checks all the boxes. Visit dosedaily.co slash Tucker. Use the code Tucker for 35 % off. That's dosedaily.co slash Tucker. Code Tucker, 35 % off. You're going to love it. Ever get the feeling that your phone is listening to you? You mention something in a conversation, and a few hours later you get an ad for that very thing. Most people assume their phone is spying on their conversations, and it may be, but most of the time the truth is even worse than that. All of the apparently free services you've enjoyed, you've actually paid for, but not with money. You've paid for these with your privacy.
20:31Five billion consumers are in our identity graph. Five billion. How many people are on Earth? Seven billion. Two billion to go. Every search, every message, every purchase, every location becomes part of a digital dossier that is bought and sold and analyzed by companies you have never heard of. You know nothing about them. They know everything about you. And we can prove that. By the end of this series, you will be upset because you will understand how the surveillance economy works and what you can do to protect your privacy. The world is watching you exclusively on TuckerCarlson.com. 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?
21:21Yeah, I think so. And who wins? Russia, of course. Because Europe has no armies. You know, NATO is totally less tiger. Yeah. Why would the Western powers, why would NATO want a war with Russia? I've never understood that. The alternative is the U.S. loses. And if the U.S. loses, it will go down. You know, the West has invested a lot in the U.S. So all the debt is owned by debtors. Europe is a big debtor to the United States. So if the U.S. stock markets, for example, go down, all the European companies that are listed in the U.S. are also going down. So we are talking about a loss of maybe trillions, you know.
22:36It's not something that the West can do. they want to prevent the U.S. from going under I think I understand that and I'd like to see the U.S. 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 U.S. and bring the empire to its knees in the most humiliating, painful, expensive way this is what you would do Yeah, but the debt has now raised levels that are unsustainable. So it's just a matter of time. You know, to run the U.S. government costs$20 billion a day. It's impossible. It's impossible. That's right.
23:33What is the end of... the iran war what does that look like iran will win because the u.s has no weapons and no army to invade you know you wonder where all the military money went because the the u.s has the biggest budget for the military yet they can't invade
24:08so I think Iran will win and then what happens to the United States? does the US get out of the Middle East? yeah
24:25what happens to American politics? what direction does it go from your perspective? I think the only way to save America is for the people to vote directly. They're not just through politicians. The only way I think to save America is a direct democracy. Do you think electronic voting machines are honest and reflect the will of the people, the votes? that go into them? I don't trust them. Yeah. I don't trust them because they are able to be manipulated. Yeah. You say that as fact. You know for certain that electronic voting machines can be manipulated? Yeah. They can. So, why does the U.S. still have them?
25:31Hmm.
25:35waiting for the right time to use them, I think. Yes.
25:43So, that's kind of grim. Do you see a risk of a nuclear exchange in Ukraine? Very likely. Because if the U.S. goes down, you know what is left. 39 trillion of dead. can never be paid back. So it may take the rest of the world down with it. And so how do you get to nuclear weapons from there? Who uses nuclear weapons, do you think? I think the U.S. first against Iran and then against the world. primarily Russia and China. But, you know, I saw this coming. This is the reason why I am in New Zealand, because it's in the middle of nowhere. It is the middle of nowhere. When did you see this coming?
26:52I don't know. I don't know. Could be many years. Could be tomorrow. I don't know. But you saw this years ago. You believed this was going to happen. Yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah. I did. I brought my family to safety. But I was safe. Are you safe? I don't know. Or maybe if I'm extra-grads to the U.S., I will die in the nuclear holocaust, I think. Oh, so you're certain that's coming? Yeah.
27:41Do you think it's likely that Israel uses nuclear weapons? possible 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. You know, the first country that should give up nuclear weapons is Israel. Yeah. I don't think they're going to. No, of course not. 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.
28:46Yeah. Julian Assange famously printed American secret documents and videos on WikiLeaks on the internet. But the U.S. government seemed very focused on killing him. Why was he such a threat? because he was telling the truth and he got in the way of the plans of the u.s uh deep state you know so anything uh that he has in terms of support was uh attacked yeah why 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? Donald Trump is a big liar. So anything he says, he just said to become president.
29:49I wouldn't believe a word he said. He's the biggest liar in the world. What do you think his goal is? What's his agenda? Why is he doing this? Oh, I think he wants to become more than the president of the United States. He wants to make history. You know, I think a nuclear war with him is very likely because of his narcissism and his character flaws. But starting a nuclear war would eliminate everybody. I mean, there would be no history after that. Yeah, but he is eight years old, so he is looking for the exit. And you think nuclear war is the exit? Yeah.
30:58Is there anything that can be done to stop that? Not much. A revolt, maybe a revolution in the United States. You know, not have a fool like Trump be president.
31:26Do you think the deep state agrees with Trump on the question of using nuclear weapons? So you need to understand one thing. The deep state has a big budget for keeping Russia and China surveilled. So if they have no longer the enemy of Russia and China, the U.S. deep state loses 40 percent of the budget. So they need to keep Russia and China the eternal enemy to make money. Yes. So really a nuclear war is not in anybody's interest. No, of course not. No, of course not. Do you think that Europe, where you're from, you're obviously German, does Europe have a future as European? If they make peace with Russia, yes.
32:34If they cut ties with the U.S., yes. If the U.S. keeps them as a vessel state, they have no chance to survive. Yeah. Do you believe Putin is secure in his job? Putin has over 80 % approval rating in Russia. So I think he's pretty safe, yeah. 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 Not convince the authorities. It's a process, you know. I'm fighting a tradition wherever I can.
Read the full transcript
33:43So my lawyers are fighting it and using the process to fight it because that's all I can do. yeah well rooting for you and for the world Kim.com thank you I know you don't do a lot of interviews and so I'm grateful you did this one and uh thanks great to see you thank you
From the publisher
Kim Dotcom knows what it’s like to be spied on. He’s a hacker, and therefore an expert on digital surveillance. He watched our new docuseries on internet privacy, so we invited him to talk to us. What followed was very dark.
Paid partnerships with:
Vulnerable People Project: Stand with Christians in the land where Christianity began, go to SaveWestBankChristians.com
Dose: Daily supplements for the systems that support you. Use code TUCKER for 35% at https://dosedaily.co/tucker
TCNetwork: Watch ‘The World Is Watching You’ only on https://watchtcn.co/4fTWqnf
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices




