Orkut is staging a comeback, but its founder needs your help first

Remember Orkut? If you were active online back in 2004, you probably have some core memories of that platform. It was a massive deal in Brazil and India before it eventually lost the race to Facebook and got shuttered by Google in 2014. Now, the platform’s founder, 51-year-old Orkut Büyükkökten, is lowkey trying to bring it back from the dead.

Büyükkökten took to X this Thursday to drop a call to action for the nostalgia-seekers. He wants you to head over to Orkut.com, sign up, and invite your friends to prove there’s actual demand for a revival.

The Anti-Algorithm Vibe Check

Real talk: Büyükkökten isn't just trying to cash in on Y2K aesthetics. In a letter on the site, he threw some major shade at how social media has shifted. He’s not a fan of the current state of things, specifically calling out AI-generated content and heavy-handed algorithms for ruining the user experience.

"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," Büyükkökten wrote. He’s pushing for a return to an internet that prioritizes "authentic people" and "genuine belonging."

Is it actually happening?

It’s giving "we’ll see." This isn't the first time he's tried to recapture the magic. He previously launched a platform called Hello in 2016, which shut down in 2020 after hitting 2 million downloads—a far cry from Orkut's peak of 300 million active users. He also teased a mystery project in 2022 and hinted to WIRED in 2024 that he was working on something using AI, but nothing has materialized yet.

As of now, he hasn't confirmed if a new Orkut is actually in development or if it’s just a proof-of-concept waiting for enough signups.

Why it matters

It’s an interesting take on the current tech fatigue we're all feeling. If you’re tired of apps that feel like they're just feeding you AI slop instead of actual human connection, this is your sign to see if the OG social network can actually pull off a comeback. No cap, the internet could definitely use a little less algorithm and a little more of the 2004 energy.