Tech tycoon believes politicians need to work harder to engage the youth vote, and says 'internet is the biggest gift of mankind'

Tech tycoon Kim Dotcom has told the Guardian that "governments want to engage in mass surveillance and have total citizen control", before a crowd fundraising event for the Mana Internet party, the political party he founded to contest New Zealand's September 20 elections.



Dotcom also reiterated his promise that five days before the election, the world will "witness a moment of truth" at an event alongside Glenn Greenwald, the former Guardian journalist who broke the NSA revelations with Edward Snowden. "We're about to make history", he said.



The eccentric entrepeuner behind file-hosting site Megaupload established the Internet party in March 2014, which has merged with the Mana Party during the election campaign, led by Laila Harré.

Internet party candidates will take second, fifth and sixth places on the candidate list.



The party has focused on mobilising the youth vote, with 42% of people aged 18–24 not voting in New Zealand; a low turnout which is echoed in global trends.



The Party Party was originally scheduled for January and had released 20,000 tickets before the Electoral Commission in New Zealand cancelled the event owing to fears it breached electoral law, because the event was free.

Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) Taking off to PARTY PARTY in Christchurch with 1000 party people tonight :-) pic.twitter.com/axDpliI1tN

Explaining his plans from a helicopter over South Island, Dotcom said he believes that governments globally will be "knocked out by the internet population", and his hope that his party will "abolish mass surveillance and rejuvenate politics by giving the internet generation a voice."

"Everyone should care about their basic human right to privacy. More and more people do. Governments want to engage in mass surveillance and have total citizen control. We have just woken up."

When asked whether the Internet party could work in the UK or elsewhere, Dotcom said: "100%. Someone is starting an Internet Party there. And even Jimmy Wales approves of us. So stay tuned."

Of young people's current political apathy, both in New Zealand and the world, Dotcom believes political parties need to change their approach to capture Generation Y voters, hence the Party Party event. "Music is a powerful tool to get the youth interested in politics."

Martyn Bradbury (@CitizenBomber) Hanging at the Internet Party @InternetPartyNZ @KimDotcom @lailaharre pic.twitter.com/MAYNx9PHdZ

"We are currently polling 2.8 in 'landline' polls. Our voters don't even know what a landline is. They are all mobile and online. The youth in New Zealand is embracing us. We make politics cool and direct. We have the apps and sites for youth to engage.



"I'm just shaking my head about the incompetence of the New Zealand government in all tech and internet matters. They don't have a vision for the future. They are not thinking bold thoughts like how can we double our GDP by focusing on growing our tech and internet sector. That's where real growth is going to happen in the decades to come.

"The internet is the biggest gift to mankind and we need to protect it from overreaching governments and greedy corporations."

Dotcom, who lives on a 60 acre estate in Auckland, is still facing extradition to the US on copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering charges relating to Megaupload, and is also being sued by six Hollywood studios, and in June offered a £3m bounty for help in fighting the case.



He also told the Guardian he is still seeking private prosecution against GCSB, New Zealand's equivalent to the NSA and GCHQ, after his house was raided. "It's highly likely. My legal team is working on it."



Mega is a cloud service and hosting successor to Megaupload. Last month he announced that he would be taking his new digital music service Baboom public on the Australian Securities Exchange by the end of 2014.

• Kim Dotcom: 'I'm not a pirate, I'm an innovator'