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Steve Wozniak speaks out in favor of net neutrality, supports Megaupload

Steve Wozniak speaks out in favor of net neutrality, supports Megaupload

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Steve Wozniak says that the US handling of the Megaupload case is a threat to internet innovation, calling the piracy case against the company "hokey."

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Steve Wozniak has today spoken out against the US government's handling of the Megaupload case, specifically its freezing of user accounts and attempts to extradite MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom from New Zealand. Wozniak says that plenty of people used Megaupload for legitimate purposes, and closing the site was not the right action to take. "You don't just shut down the whole street because somebody is speeding," Wozniak told the Associated Press.

"It's just kind of ridiculous what they did to his life."

Wozniak's helped fund the formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a non-profit organization which is currently embroiled in a legal battle on behalf of Megaupload users that want access to their entirely legal data. Although the Apple cofounder acknowledges that Megaupload CEO Kim Dotcom may not be as legitimate as he paints himself, Wozniak hasn't found any evidence that justifies the authorities' treatment of Dotcom. "It's just kind of ridiculous what they did to his life," he says, calling the piracy case "hokey" and a threat to internet innovation. Wozniak met with Dotcom last week after he discovered the troubled businessman couldn't attend his speech due to a house arrest order.

Wozniak believes that people should pay for content, but also says the internet should be open and shutting down sites like Megaupload is futile. "If you've got a huge steamroller coming, instead of trying to stop it, you should get out of the way."