Is Orkut Making A Comeback? Founder Seeks Support To Revive The Platform

Orkut, the popular social networking platform of the 2000s, could make a comeback. Founder Orkut Buyukkokten has asked internet users to support his plan to revive the platform, focusing on friendship, community, and real human connections. However, no launch date has been announced yet.

On Thursday, Buyukkokten shared a post on X asking people to support his initiative. He said the internet should help people find friends, build communities and feel a sense of belonging. He encouraged users to add their names on the official website, orkut.com, and share their supporter cards with friends.

Orkut was an early social networking service created by Google engineer Orkut Buyukkokten and operated by Google. Launched in January 2004, it became popular in countries such as India and Brazil.

Users could connect through profiles, communities, testimonials and friend networks. However, Google shut down Orkut in September 2014 as other social networking platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, grew in popularity.

In an open letter on the website, Buyukkokten explained why he wanted to bring back Orkut. He said social media had changed over the past two decades, with platforms prioritising user engagement over meaningful relationships.

Check Out The Post Here:

The internet should help us find our people. Friendship. Community. A place to belong. 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 https://t.co/zesE18Y3Fd

— Orkut Buyukkokten (@orkut) October 8, 2026

Buyukkokten recalled the early days of the internet, when connecting with people from different parts of the world felt exciting. He said even a short conversation with a stranger from another country could feel special because the connection was genuine.

He also criticised social media platforms for designing feeds to attract users' attention rather than help people build real relationships. According to Buyukkokten, this change has contributed to loneliness among young people.

The founder also expressed concern about the growing role of artificial intelligence in online interactions, saying it could weaken the human connections that made social networking meaningful.

As part of the revival initiative, Buyukkokten has asked users to add their names on the official website to show support for a social network focused on genuine people and meaningful connections.

"When people tell me what they miss most about orkut.com, they always say the communities. The people who repaired the same motorcycle. The people who rode the same bus route. The people who hated Mondays. In a feed you're an audience, in a community you're a member. That was the whole point," the open letter reads.

He wrote, "I see a different future for the internet, one built around real people, one with a human on the other side of every message. A future not focused on algorithms, eyeballs, and time-on-site optimisation. The next generation deserves a better world, one where their communities reward kindness, curiosity, friendship, trust, and connection."

He also encouraged supporters to invite friends and share their supporter cards to help build a community around the proposed platform. He urged people to reach out to someone they wanted to join the initiative with and explain why that person mattered to them.

Buyukkokten said friendship and community could make life meaningful, adding that the internet should focus on people rather than attention.