Orkut Comeback: Founder Seeks Support to Revive Social Network
Orkut founder Orkut Büyükkökten is collecting signatures to revive the social network, but has not yet confirmed development or a public launch timeline.
Summary
Orkut founder Orkut Büyükkökten, 51, asked users in a Thursday post on X to register support at Orkut.com and invite others to back its revival. Created in 2004 as his Google side project, Orkut amassed about 300 million active users and became especially popular in India and Brazil before losing ground to Facebook. Google closed it in September 2014 while prioritizing Google+ and YouTube.
Büyükkökten argues that algorithms and AI-generated content have weakened the human connection underpinning social networks, proposing a return centered on authentic friendship, community and belonging. His interest-based network Hello launched in 2016, surpassed 2 million worldwide downloads and closed in 2020. In 2022, he said he was building something new, then in 2024 described a network that would use AI and machine learning to connect people and communities, but it remains unlaunched. He has not confirmed whether a new Orkut is in development or will launch, and did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Positives
- Orkut.com is collecting names from users interested in reviving the social network and encouraging them to invite others.
- About 300 million active users gave the original Orkut a substantial audience, particularly in India and Brazil.
- Büyükkökten is proposing a network focused on authentic friendship, community and belonging rather than algorithmic engagement.
- Hello exceeded 2 million downloads worldwide after launching in 2016, showing continued interest in Büyükkökten's social products.
Risks & concerns
- No development status or launch timeline has been confirmed for a revived Orkut.
- Google closed the original Orkut in September 2014 after it lost ground to Facebook.
- Hello shut down in 2020 despite surpassing 2 million worldwide downloads.
- The AI and machine learning social network described in 2024 has yet to launch.
- Büyükkökten did not respond to an email seeking clarification about the proposed comeback.