Orkut, the once-thriving social networking site that ceased operations over ten years ago, could be poised for a revival, as its creator appeals to users to help bring it back with a renewed emphasis on friendship, community, and genuine human connection.
In a Thursday post on X, Orkut Büyükkökten, founder of the namesake social network, encouraged visitors to go to Orkut.com and sign up in support of its return, while also inviting others to join the effort.
Orkut originally launched in 2004 as a side project by Büyükkökten, now 51, during his tenure at Google. The platform gained massive popularity in India and Brazil but eventually ceded ground to Facebook. Google ultimately discontinued it in September 2014, redirecting resources toward other ventures such as Google+ and YouTube.
In a letter posted on Orkut.com, Büyükkökten criticized the evolution of social media over the past two decades, particularly the rising dominance of algorithms and AI-generated content. “Artificial intelligence is extraordinary technology, but it’s dissolving the one premise that made social networking special and worth building: that there was a person on the other side,” he wrote.
“I know how to get there: we rebuild the internet we first loved. The one with authentic people, real connection, and genuine belonging,” Büyükkökten added.
This isn’t Büyükkökten’s first attempt at returning to social networking. In 2016, two years after Orkut’s closure, he launched Hello, a network centered on connecting people through shared interests. That platform shut down in 2020 after surpassing 2 million downloads globally, a fraction of Orkut’s roughly 300 million active users at its peak.
In 2022, Büyükkökten teased another social networking project in a note on Orkut.com, stating he was “building something new” without providing details. Two years later, he told WIRED he was developing a platform that would “leverage AI and machine learning” to unite people and foster communities. That service has yet to debut.
Now, Büyükkökten is asking people to register their support for Orkut’s return. However, he has not clarified whether a new version is already under development or if it will ever launch.
An email sent to Orkut seeking comment from Büyükkökten went unanswered.