Orkut founder asks users to help bring back friendship-focused network

Orkut Büyükkökten is asking people to register support on Orkut.com, criticizing algorithm-driven and AI-generated content. The move signals renewed appetite for human-first communities, but no launch timeline exists.

What happened

Orkut, the once-popular social networking platform that shut down more than a decade ago, may be moving toward a return. On Thursday, founder Orkut Büyükkökten posted on X asking users to visit Orkut.com and add their names in support of bringing it back, and to invite others to join.

Büyükkökten, 51, first launched Orkut in 2004 as a side project while at Google. It became hugely popular in India and Brazil before losing ground to Facebook; Google shut it down in September 2014. In a letter on Orkut.com, the founder criticized the growing influence of algorithms and AI-generated content in social media over the past two decades.

The letter states:

“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.”

“I know how to get there: we rebuild the internet we first loved. The one with authentic people, real connection, and genuine belonging.”

This is not the first return attempt. In 2016, Büyükkökten launched Hello, a social network focused on shared interests; it shut down in 2020 after attracting more than 2 million downloads worldwide, compared with Orkut’s about 300 million active users. In 2022 he hinted at another venture and told WIRED two years later he was working on a social network that would apply AI and machine learning, but that platform has yet to launch. He has not clarified whether a new Orkut version is in development or will ever launch; an email seeking comment did not elicit a response.

Key facts

• Orkut first debuted in 2004 as a side project by Büyükkökten while he was at Google.
• Google shut down Orkut in September 2014 after it lost ground to Facebook, having been hugely popular in India and Brazil.
• Büyükkökten is now asking users to add their names on Orkut.com and invite others to support a return.
• His previous network Hello shut down in 2020 after more than 2 million downloads, versus Orkut’s about 300 million active users.
• He has not said whether a new Orkut is in development or will launch; an email to Orkut seeking comment received no response.

Our analysis

The call to register support is not a product launch; it is a demand test and a narrative shift. By asking people to add their names on Orkut.com, Büyükkökten is likely trying to measure whether nostalgia for Orkut’s community-first model can convert into a viable user base. The explicit criticism of algorithms and AI-generated content positions this effort as a counterweight to current platform dynamics, which many creators and community managers already feel are deprioritizing human interaction.

The Hello comparison is a cautionary signal. Hello attracted more than 2 million downloads, yet far below Orkut’s about 300 million active users, and it still shut down in 2020. That suggests brand recognition alone did not sustain a new network. The founder’s earlier promise of a social network using AI and machine learning also never launched, so operators should treat this announcement as an early interest signal, not a near-term channel opportunity.

For social media managers and creators, the meaningful part is the stated premise: authentic people, real connection, and genuine belonging. This likely reflects a broader fatigue with feed algorithms and synthetic content. Even if Orkut does not return, the positioning can sharpen how brands design owned communities, events, and member experiences that feel human-first.

What it means for operators

• Run your own support list now: If Orkut.com is collecting names, treat it as a template. A simple landing page with a clear manifesto and email capture can test demand before building a new community or content offering.
• Audit your content mix for “person on the other side” signals. Add creator faces, named hosts, live Q&As, or member spotlights so followers see real people rather than polished AI-only output.
• Do not shift budget or strategy to Orkut yet. The founder has not confirmed development or launch; meanwhile, your existing owned channels, email lists, and private groups remain the more reliable way to reach audiences.
• Watch this as a positioning benchmark. If the revival gains support, use its language around authenticity and belonging to refine your community guidelines, onboarding, and moderation—but verify actual user numbers before treating it as a distribution channel.