Orkut Büyükkökten, the founder of the once-popular social networking platform Orkut, has launched a campaign for a more human and meaningful internet. More than a decade after Google shut down the original platform, Büyükkökten is pleading with users to support a new social network based on friendship, real connections and online communities.
The campaign was organized on October 8 and 9, 2026. In an open letter posted on the official Orkut website, he criticized the way social media platforms put attention, engagement and algorithms ahead of real relationships.
His message is simple: technology should bring people closer, not leave them feeling disconnected.
Orkut Founder Criticises Algorithm-Driven Social Media
As Büyükkökten wrote in his letter, social media has fallen from its original purpose of connecting people. He said platforms are more focused on keeping users online for longer periods than on creating real relationships.
He also pointed out the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence-generated content, bots and deepfakes on people’s minds even if they are not real people.
Büyükkökten says the internet must have a different direction, one that places trust, kindness, curiosity and friendship at the centre of online experiences.
His statement, “An algorithm can’t make life worth living” encapsulates the core idea of the campaign.
Campaign Calls for a More Human Internet
The campaign asks for people to visit the official Orkut website and to support a social network based on real people, real connections and a sense of belonging.
Supporters could also use campaign cards to share with their friends and others in the movement to help.
I hope to gauge public interest in a new kind of social media experience. But the campaign does not disclose a launch date for a new platform and the founder has not announced that the original Orkut service has officially returned.
Why Orkut Still Matters to Internet Users
Orkut was launched in 2004 and became popular in India and Brazil. Users remember the platform for its personal profiles, testimonials, scraps and interest-based communities.
Unlike many social networks today, Orkut gave users a strong sense of belonging through groups based on shared hobbies, school and music, movies and everyday interests.
Google shut down the service in September 2014 as its popularity declined and the company shifted its attention to other products.
Many of the former users are still left with a memory of a simpler time on the internet - when online interaction was one of more personal and less automated recommendation.
Did Orkut really bring back meaningful online connections?
But the campaign comes at the same time as the world has become increasingly scared of screen time, online misinformation, and AI-generated content. There is also an increase in desire for digital spaces where we can have real conversations instead of scrolling forever.
And to rebuild a social network is more than nostalgia. You will have to have good privacy protection and moderation systems, reliable technology and enough people to maintain a community.
Whether Büyükkökten’s initiative will lead to a new platform is still unknown. For now, the campaign is a clear message: social media should serve people, and technology should assist in supporting the human connections that make life meaningful.
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