After shutting down Orkut in 2014, Google’s once-popular social network is back in the spotlight as founder Orkut Büyükkökten launches a petition for a new platform focused on genuine connections and AI challenges.
Orkut was an absolute craze in India and other countries once upon a time. Now, the platform might just make a comeback. Founder Orkut Büyükkökten is making moves to launch a brand new social media network. He wants to build an internet space that actually values real connections, friendships, and genuine human intimacy, according to reports.
Google pulled the plug on Orkut in 2014 after it became a massive hit among the youth in the 2000s. People are talking about its possible return now, more than a decade later. But keep in mind, the company has not made any official announcement about relaunching the exact old platform yet.
Online petition for a new Orkut
Büyükkökten has kicked off an online petition on orkut.com to gather support for his new social media venture. He is targeting people who want a more human experience on the internet. Over 2,70,000 people from 115 countries have already signed this petition, according to current reports. He also dropped an open letter and a message on X. He strongly believes the internet should help people find friends, build communities, and create a space where everyone feels accepted.
Social media forgot its real purpose, says founder
Büyükkökten feels that today’s social media platforms have completely lost their original purpose. He mentions in his open letter that he built some of the earliest social networks two decades ago and has watched them change firsthand. Connecting with strangers across the globe used to be a thrilling experience. But today, he criticizes platforms for caring more about grabbing user attention than building meaningful relationships.
He points out that algorithm-driven feeds, engagement-boosting tricks, and data collection for ads have completely changed the nature of social media. Loneliness and anxiety are shooting up among the youth because of this, he notes.
AI and the crisis of online trust
The rise of artificial intelligence is also destroying trust on social media, warns Büyükkökten. Figuring out if you are actually talking to a real person on the other side is getting harder. He argues that fake accounts, deepfake videos, AI-generated content, and automated AI agents are severely weakening trust in online interactions.
“Artificial intelligence is an extraordinary technology. But it is destroying the basic concept that made social media special and valuable. That was the trust that there is a real person on the other side,” he explains.
Not the first comeback attempt
Rumours about an Orkut comeback are not new. Büyükkökten reactivated orkut.com back in 2022 and published an open letter about creating a new social network. He imagined a platform that focused on meaningful connections and communities even back then, rather than the engagement-heavy model we see on mainstream apps. However, that attempt did not result in an official return of the old Orkut.
He is once again asking for public support to build a more human internet through his latest campaign. Old Orkut users are highly hopeful about this comeback, but there is no clarity on when the new platform will actually launch. The project is currently just in the public support gathering phase. We still do not have an official announcement or a launch date.