Remember Orkut? It could be making a comeback
What's the story
Orkut, the popular social networking site that was shut down over a decade ago, could be making a comeback. Its founder, Orkut Buyukkokten, has called on users to help revive the platform with a renewed focus on friendship and community. In a post on X, Buyukkokten urged users to visit Orkut.com and sign-up in support of its return. So far, the page has received over 3.6 lakh signatures from 142 countries, with Brazil alone accounting for 68.3% of the total.
Platform evolution
Orkut's history and decline
Launched in 2004 as a side project by Buyukkokten at Google, Orkut became hugely popular in India and Brazil. However, it lost ground to Facebook over time.
In September 2014, Google shut down the platform to focus on other products like Google+ and YouTube.
At its peak, Orkut had about 300 million active users worldwide.
Social media critique
Buyukkokten's thoughts on social media evolution
In a letter on Orkut.com, Buyukkokten criticized the evolution of social media over the last two decades. He particularly highlighted the 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.
Future vision
Vision for a new Orkut
Buyukkokten envisions a different future, one that is centered around real people and communities that value kindness, trust, and belonging.
He wants to bring back the spirit that made Orkut special in its next chapter.
Note that, this isn't the first time he's thought about returning to social networking.
Previous attempts
Attempts at reviving social network
After Orkut's shutdown, Buyukkokten launched Hello, a social network focused on connecting people through shared interests. However, it was shut down in 2020 after gaining over two million downloads worldwide.
In 2022, he teased another social networking project on Orkut.com but didn't share further details.
Two years later, he told WIRED about his plans for a new platform that would "leverage AI and machine learning" to connect people and build communities.
Twitter Post
Buyukkokten calls for platform's revival
The internet should help us find our people. Friendship. Community. A place to belong.
— Orkut Buyukkokten (@orkut) October 8, 2026
Help me bring Orkut back in that spirit. Add your name at https://t.co/FO48fJMjEq and share your supporter card with someone you want to bring along.
Love,
Orkut pic.twitter.com/zesE18Y3Fd