Orkut Founder Seeks Support to Revive Social Network After 12 Years

Orkut Büyükkökten wants to bring back the social network that made him famous, 12 years after Google shut it down. The founder is asking former users to support a revival centred on friendships and communities, not algorithm-driven feeds.

In an announcement on X on Thursday, October 8, Büyükkökten invited people to visit Orkut.com, register their support and encourage friends to join. However, he has not confirmed whether a new platform is already being developed or announced a launch date.

The proposed comeback follows growing criticism that modern social networks prioritise engagement and AI-generated content. In an open letter, Büyükkökten argued that social media has moved away from meaningful personal relationships, with algorithms increasingly determining what people see.

He also expressed concern that AI-generated posts, bots, and synthetic interactions make it harder to know whether another person is behind an online conversation. His stated goal is to rebuild communities based on genuine participation and shared interests.

Orkut’s History and Previous Comeback Attempts

Launched in 2004 as a project by Büyükkökten while he worked at Google, Orkut became especially popular in India and Brazil. The platform attracted hundreds of millions of users before losing ground to Facebook and eventually closing in September 2014 as Google focused on other services.

Büyükkökten returned to social networking in 2016 with Hello, an app designed to connect people through common interests. Although it attracted more than 2 million downloads worldwide, the platform struggled to maintain momentum, as Entrackr reported in 2019, and eventually shut down in 2020.

In 2022, Büyükkökten posted another message on Orkut.com suggesting he was developing something new. The archived announcement promised a renewed focus on authentic connections but offered few details about the planned service.

In a 2024 interview with WIRED, he discussed plans for a social platform that uses AI and machine learning to help people discover friendships and communities. That proposed service has not launched publicly.

The latest campaign lets supporters express interest in Orkut’s return, but it isn’t a working replacement for the original network. Büyükkökten has yet to disclose its features, development status or release schedule.