orkut

The comeback of the captivating social network

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Orkut might not have been as popular as MySpace or Tumblr back in the day, but the social network, once owned by Google, boasted an impressive 300 million users at its peak, with more than half in Brazil. Eight years after the website was shuttered, its original founder has vowed to be “building something new” under the brand for a new generation of consumers.

THE HISTORY OF ORKUT

First launched 18 years ago in 2004, Orkut was a social networking website that was owned and powered by Google. The network, like Facebook, MySpace, and Tumblr, was designed to help users find their old friends, maintain relationships, and start new conversations with those who had similar interests. First developed by Orkut Büyükkökten under a workplace scheme where Google allowed employees to work on personal projects, the network went on to become one of the most visited websites in Brazil and India by 2008, and at its peak, had more than 300 million users. It was only in 2011 when Facebook overtook the company, demonstrating the serious growth modern platforms have had in recent years. In 2008, Google confirmed that Orkut would be managed by Google Brazil, and the site continued to expand and introduce new tools and features that would help users get closer to their friends and community groups.