5 Key Takeaways
- Orkut founder Orkut Büyükkökten is asking former users and newcomers to register support for a revival at Orkut.com.
- The proposed revival would prioritize friendship, community, and authentic human connection over algorithmic feeds and AI-generated content.
- Orkut launched in 2004, became huge in India and Brazil, reached about 300 million active users, and was shut down by Google in 2014.
- Büyükkökten's earlier post-Orkut effort, Hello, shut down in 2020, and later plans for a new AI/ML-enabled network have not launched.
- The current campaign is a public test of demand, but there is no confirmed timeline, feature list, funding plan, or guarantee that a new Orkut will launch.
Orkut’s Founder Wants to Bring Back the Social Network That Put Friendship First
More than a decade after Google pulled the plug on Orkut, the once-beloved social networking platform may be inching toward a comeback. Orkut Büyükkökten, the founder whose first name became synonymous with early social media in India and Brazil, is asking people to support a revival. In a public appeal on X on Thursday, October 9, 2026, Büyükkökten urged former users and newcomers to visit Orkut.com and add their names in support of bringing the network back.
The pitch is not simply about nostalgia. Büyükkökten is framing the potential return as a corrective to what he sees as the hollowing out of modern social media. Instead of chasing engagement metrics, the revived Orkut would focus on friendship, community, and genuine human connection. The response from longtime internet users has been immediate, with many sharing memories of a time when social platforms felt less algorithmic and more personal.
What Orkut Was and Why It Mattered
Orkut first appeared in 2004 as a side project created by Büyükkökten while he was working at Google. The social network launched quietly but grew rapidly in specific regions. It became a cultural phenomenon in India and Brazil, where millions of people used it to join communities, share photos, write testimonials, and maintain social ties. At its peak, Orkut attracted about 300 million active users worldwide.
Unlike many modern networks, Orkut was built around communities and personal profiles rather than a fast-moving algorithmic feed. Users could join groups dedicated to everything from music and books to local neighborhoods and university life. In Brazil, Orkut became so embedded in daily life that it shaped how a generation learned to interact online. In India, it offered a space for young internet users to express themselves at a time when access to the web was expanding rapidly.
That dominance did not last. Facebook grew quickly and eventually overtook Orkut in its key markets. Google decided to shut Orkut down in September 2014, redirecting its social ambitions toward other platforms, including Google+ and YouTube. Google+ itself was later discontinued, but Orkut remains the network that many former users remember most fondly.
A New Plea for an Old Idea
Büyükkökten’s latest call to action appeared on X, where he asked people to visit Orkut.com and add their names in support of a revival. He encouraged supporters to invite others to join the effort as well. The website now hosts a letter from the founder that outlines his concerns about the current state of social media and his vision for a different kind of network.
In the letter, Büyükkökten criticizes the way social platforms have evolved over the past two decades. His main targets are the growing influence of algorithms and AI-generated content. Algorithms are the automated systems that decide what users see in their feeds, often prioritizing posts that generate strong reactions or keep people scrolling. AI-generated content refers to text, images, and videos created by artificial intelligence tools rather than by people.
Büyükkökten argues that these forces have changed the nature of social networking. He wrote:
“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.”
That sentence captures the emotional core of his argument. For many users, early social platforms felt like spaces where real people shared real moments. The shift toward algorithm-driven feeds and synthetic content has, in his view, made those spaces feel less human. Büyükkökten believes the solution is to return to the principles that made Orkut popular in the first place.
He added:
“I know how to get there: we rebuild the internet we first loved. The one with authentic people, real connection, and genuine belonging.”
Past Attempts to Build a Successor
This is not the first time Büyükkökten has attempted to re-enter the social networking space. In 2016, two years after Orkut shut down, he launched another platform called Hello. The network focused on connecting people through shared interests, a concept that echoed Orkut’s community-driven design.
Hello managed to attract more than 2 million downloads worldwide before it shut down in 2020. Those numbers were modest compared with Orkut’s roughly 300 million active users, highlighting the challenge of building a new social network in an era dominated by established platforms. Still, the effort showed that Büyükkökten was willing to experiment with new approaches.
In 2022, he hinted at another social networking venture in a note on Orkut.com. He wrote that he was “building something new” but offered no further details at the time. The announcement sparked speculation among former Orkut users, but no product materialized immediately.
Two years later, Büyükkökten told WIRED that he was working on a social network that would “leverage AI and machine learning” to bring people together and build communities. That description surprised some observers, given his criticism of AI-generated content. However, his vision appeared to focus on using AI as a tool for connection rather than as a replacement for human interaction. That platform has yet to launch.
What the Current Campaign Does and Does Not Say
The latest campaign is straightforward in its ask. Büyükkökten wants people to register their support for Orkut’s return through Orkut.com. The site appears designed to measure interest and build a list of potential early users.
What remains unclear is whether a new version of Orkut is already in development or whether it will ever launch. Büyükkökten has not provided a timeline, a feature list, or details about how the platform would be funded. He has also not clarified whether the revived Orkut would be an updated version of the original or an entirely new product with a familiar name.
An email sent to Orkut seeking comment from Büyükkökten did not elicit a response. That lack of detail has not stopped supporters from signing up, but it does leave many practical questions unanswered.
Why a Revival Could Resonate Now
The idea of reviving Orkut arrives at a moment when many people are questioning mainstream social media. Concerns about algorithmic manipulation, privacy, misinformation, and the rise of AI-generated content have prompted users to seek smaller or more intentional online spaces. Some have moved to niche communities, while others have reduced their social media use altogether.
In that context, a network built around authenticity and belonging could find an audience. Orkut’s history gives it a built-in identity. Millions of people already have positive memories of the platform. If Büyükkökten can translate that goodwill into active participation, the revival could gain momentum quickly.
However, the social media landscape has changed dramatically since Orkut’s heyday. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X dominate global attention. New platforms face steep barriers to user growth and retention. Even well-funded alternatives have struggled to compete with established networks. Nostalgia alone may not be enough to sustain a long-term community.
The Road Ahead
For now, the future of Orkut depends on the response to Büyükkökten’s call. The campaign is effectively a public test of demand. If enough people add their names, the founder may move forward with a formal launch. If interest remains limited to a small group of nostalgic users, the project could remain an idea rather than a product.
The founder’s message is clear. He believes the internet has lost something valuable, and he wants to help restore it. His letter positions Orkut not just as a product but as a statement about what social media should be. The challenge will be turning that statement into a viable platform.
What happens next will depend on whether people are willing to invest their attention in a network that does not yet exist. The original Orkut succeeded because it offered something new. A revived Orkut would have to prove that it can offer something the current social media giants do not.
The campaign may be the first step in a longer journey. It could lead to a full-scale relaunch, a smaller community-driven project, or another attempt that quietly fades away. For now, Büyükkökten is asking a simple question: do you want the internet we first loved back? The answer will determine whether Orkut returns or remains a memory.
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