Orkut Büyükkökten, the founder of the now-defunct social network Orkut, has invited people to visit Orkut.com and add their names in support of reviving the platform. He posted the appeal on X on Thursday and encouraged followers to invite others to join the site.
Background and previous projects
Orkut originally launched in 2004 as a side project by Büyükkökten while he was at Google. The network became particularly popular in India and Brazil but later lost ground to Facebook. Google shut Orkut down in September 2014 as it shifted focus to other products, including Google+ and YouTube.
After Orkut’s closure, Büyükkökten launched another social app called Hello in 2016, aimed at connecting people through shared interests. Hello was discontinued in 2020 after achieving more than 2 million downloads globally, a much smaller reach than Orkut’s roughly 300 million active users at its peak.
Why the appeal matters: critique of algorithms and AI-driven content
In a letter published on Orkut.com, Büyükkökten criticized the direction social media has taken over the past two decades, highlighting the growing role 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.
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.”
Current status and uncertainty
Büyükkökten did not specify whether a new version of Orkut is already in development or provide a timeline for a relaunch. In 2022 he hinted on Orkut.com that he was “building something new,” and in 2024 he told WIRED he was working on a social network that would “leverage AI and machine learning” to foster communities. None of these projects has yet produced a widely launched platform.
An email seeking comment from Orkut to reach Büyükkökten did not receive a response.
What supporters are being asked to do
The current request is simple: interested users should register their support by entering their names on Orkut.com and invite others to do the same. Technical, product and business details about any possible relaunch remain undisclosed.
This article is based on information publicly available at the time of writing and does not speculate about if or when a new Orkut might launch.
