Following on from a reveal in August that the New Zealand intelligence agency, Government Communication Security Bureau (GCSB), illegally spied on Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom before his arrest in January, it has now been granted that the file locker millionaire will be able to sue the organisation for damages.

While this will mean that Mr Dotcom can potentially claim more of a financial compensation from the NZ government, what it means for the public is potentially more interesting, since the GCSB will also be required to unveil details of its surveillance of Dotcom and his fellow defendants in the Megaupload extradition case. According to TorrentFreak, the judge also ruled that the GCSB would have to hand over any information on its links with US local and federal authorities.

This could potentially show pressuring from US organisations like the FBI, which were on the scene at the Dotcom arrest at his mansion in January, though their overall involvement hasn't been fully understood. It's also likely that details of talks with groups like the MPAA and RIAA, as well as potentially political pressure from the US government, could be revealed.

Taking to twitter after the ruling was announced, Dotcom said succinctly: “Lets see about US involvement in illegal GCSB spying on New Zealand residents. The truth will come out, in court.”

Dotcom has been in the news almost every month since his incarceration earlier this year. Most recently he's been involved with trying to serup a spiritual successor to Megaupload, simply entitled Mega. However within a week of debuting, the site was hit by hackers and threatened by the government that it could be used as evidence to withdraw Dotcom's bail.

KitGuru Says: Well it looks like Dotcom will be helping unveil some of the shady dealings of the authorities with regards to his arrest. Does this make you guys like him more or are you pretty indifferent at this point?

Become a Patron!