Orkut’s Possible Return: Founder Büyükkökten Calls for a Human‑Centred Social Network

When Google pulled the plug on Orkut back in 2014, many of us thought that nostalgic corner of the internet was dead for good. It felt like the end of an era – especially for the millions of Indian users who once filled their profiles with handwritten notes and quirky photos.

Fast forward to 2026, and the story is taking an unexpected turn. Orkut Büyükkökten, the Turkish engineer who founded the original site, has quietly resurrected the domain and started an online petition. His ask? Not to simply bring back the old service, but to launch an entirely new social network that puts genuine human connection back on the table.

The petition, hosted at orkut.com, already boasts more than 270,000 signatures from 115 countries. It’s a clear signal that a sizable chunk of the old‑Orkut crowd – and a few curious newcomers – are yearning for a space where friendships aren’t measured in likes or algorithmic reach.

In an open letter posted on X (formerly Twitter), Büyükkökten lamented how today’s platforms have drifted far from their original purpose. “We built early social networks to let strangers become friends,” he wrote. “Now most feeds are engineered to keep you scrolling, to harvest data, and to push ads.” He went on to point out the growing mental‑health toll: loneliness, anxiety, and a sense of isolation are on the rise, especially among younger users.

One of the newest beasts on the horizon is artificial intelligence. While AI can create stunning art or offer helpful chatbots, it’s also spawning a wave of deepfakes, synthetic profiles and auto‑generated content that make it harder to tell if the person on the other side is real. “Trust used to be the foundation of social media,” Büyükkökten warned. “Now it’s eroding because you can’t be sure who—or what—you’re talking to.”

His proposed platform would, therefore, be built around a few simple principles: transparent identity verification, minimal data harvesting, and a feed that surfaces posts from real friends rather than endless sponsored loops. He isn’t promising a utopia, just a more humane corner of the internet where a “hello” still feels personal.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Orkut has hinted at a comeback. In 2022 the domain was revived and another letter floated the same idea, but nothing materialised beyond talk. This time, however, the petition’s momentum seems stronger, and the conversation about AI‑driven misinformation has entered the mainstream.

There’s still no official launch date, no concrete product demo, and Google remains silent on any partnership. For now, the project lives in the realm of public support – a collective wish‑list from people who miss the old sense of community and want something different from today’s attention‑hungry giants.

Whether this new network will ever see the light of day remains to be seen. What’s clear, though, is that the yearning for authentic connections is still very much alive, and Orkut’s founder is betting that a fresh start could finally give it the space it deserves.