Megaupload FAQ
Megaupload was seized by the FBI on 19 January 2012 and never returned. The files stored on it were not preserved and cannot be recovered. Those two facts answer most of what people arrive here looking for. The rest — why it was shut down, what became of Kim Dotcom, and how Mega differs — is below.
The shutdown
What happened to Megaupload?
Megaupload was shut down on 19 January 2012, when the US Department of Justice unsealed a criminal indictment and the FBI seized the site’s servers and domain names. It went offline the same day and has never returned.
Why was Megaupload shut down?
US prosecutors charged the company and several executives with conspiracy to commit racketeering, criminal copyright infringement and money laundering. They alleged the business was built on paying users storing and sharing copyrighted material, costing studios and labels more than $500 million while earning over $175 million.
Is Megaupload back or coming back?
No. The original Megaupload has not relaunched in any form and there is no announced plan to relaunch it. Its servers were seized, its domains forfeited and its data was not preserved.
The files
Can I recover my files from Megaupload?
No. User files sat on servers leased from Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications. Megaupload’s funds were frozen so those bills went unpaid, and the data was never returned to users. Around 50 million people lost access. There is no archive and no request process.
Do old megaupload.com links still work?
No. Old file links stopped resolving in January 2012. Some still circulate on forums and download aggregators, and a few point at this domain by coincidence of the shared name, but the files behind them do not exist anywhere. Requests to those addresses on this site return HTTP 410 Gone.
Was Megaupload Premium a real thing?
Yes. Megaupload sold a paid Premium membership that removed download wait times and speed caps, alongside the free tier most visitors used. Premium subscriptions were part of the revenue prosecutors pointed to in the indictment.
Kim Dotcom and Mega
What is the difference between Megaupload and Mega (mega.nz)?
Mega is a separate, still-active encrypted cloud storage company launched on 19 January 2013, exactly one year after the raid, by the same founder, Kim Dotcom. It shares no servers, accounts or files with the original Megaupload and holds none of its data.
Where does Kim Dotcom’s case stand now?
New Zealand’s Justice Minister signed an order to extradite him to the United States in August 2024. He challenged it, and on 1 July 2026 the Court of Appeal dismissed that challenge on every point and awarded costs against him. His remaining route is a discretionary application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.
What happened to the other people charged?
Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk pleaded guilty and were sentenced in New Zealand in June 2023 to 2 years 7 months and 2 years 6 months, and were released in July 2024 after serving 13 months. Charges against Finn Batato were dropped in 2021 after a terminal cancer diagnosis; he died in June 2022.
This website
Is megaupload.nz the official Megaupload website?
No. megaupload.nz is an unofficial recreation of the pre-2012 Megaupload interface, not affiliated with Kim Dotcom, Megaupload Limited or Mega Limited. Uploads on this site are simulated and disabled.
Can I upload files here?
No. This site has never hosted user files and has no upload facility, no accounts and no registration. The interface is a static recreation.
Where can I send large files for free today?
Gofile takes up to 20 GB per file with no account, Send Anywhere has no size ceiling device to device, and WeTransfer handles up to 3 GB per transfer. The send-large-files guide compares them step by step.
Read more
megaupload.nz is an unofficial fan recreation of the pre-2012 interface and is not affiliated with Kim Dotcom, Megaupload Limited, or Mega Limited. Last reviewed 24 September 2026.