Orkut's new face HELLO 'to create positive, authentic, meaningful connection'

While on one side Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg’s misery continue after his five-hour testimony in the US Congress relating to Facebook data breach, on the other side Orkut which once ruled the social media has marked its way into India once again with ‘Hello’.

Orkut Buyukkokten has set up Hello to create positive, authentic, meaningful connection with sustained social engagement, as per reports.

“If you look at the social media today, it has isolated people instead of bringing them closer. It has become more about broadcasting than sharing. We need a fresh start. Hello is built around interest-based communities where users with the same interests can connect, leading to true connections,” said Buyukkokten.

He also stated that Hello is already a popular medium in Brazil from July 2016, and huge number of people from India were a part of beta testing in Indian market.

“Orkut was huge in India and I’m delighted to say Hello to India once again,” he added.

Making a satirical comment on Facebook’s data breach scandal, Buyukkokten said Hello“does not have to sell user data to get revenues”.

“When a user signs up, they are asked about five things that they are passionate about and then get recommendations that are non-intrusive. We also ensure that every advertiser has a profile on hello (for greater accountability),” he confirmed.

India has been issuing strict statements in response to Facebook. “Abuse of social media including Facebook cannot be allowed to impact the fairness of elections,” said Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

He also added that Zuckerberg will be summoned to India if the need arrives.

The Indian government has already issued letters to both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook wanting to know how the breach was carried out and where did Facebook lack in securing the privacy of its users.

Meanwhile, the social media campaign of #deleteFacebook has heated up after Whatsapp co-founder Brian Acton tweeted about it and with the likes of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk joining the online campaign.

The entry of Hello could be perfectly timed to make its mark in the social media.