Orkut Founder Seeks User Support to Revive Social Network

Call for Revival

Orkut Büyükkökten, the founder of the social networking platform Orkut, has initiated a campaign to gauge user interest in its revival. He posted on X, urging individuals to visit Orkut.com and add their names to a list supporting the platform's return, and to invite others to do the same.

Background of Orkut

Orkut launched in 2004 as a Google side project and gained significant popularity in India and Brazil. Google shut down the platform in September 2014, shifting focus to other services like Google+ and YouTube, after it lost market share to competitors such as Facebook.

Critique of Modern Social Media

In a letter on Orkut.com, Büyükkökten expressed concerns about the current state of social media, specifically highlighting the increasing influence of algorithms and AI-generated content. He stated that AI, while extraordinary, is undermining the human connection that was central to early social networking.

Büyükkökten proposes rebuilding an internet focused on authentic people, real connections, and genuine belonging, suggesting a departure from the current model.

Previous Attempts and Future Plans

This is not Büyükkökten's first attempt at a social networking comeback; he launched Hello in 2016, which closed in 2020. In 2022, he hinted at a new venture, and later told WIRED he was working on an AI and machine learning-driven social network, which has not yet launched.

Currently, Büyükkökten has not provided details on whether a new version of Orkut is under development or if its launch is confirmed. He is primarily soliciting public support at this stage.