The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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‘Do y’all remember MY SPACE?’ It’s making a comeback and this time it’s taking aim at Big Tech

by

BS BULLETIN:

  • Myspace’s current owners say they’re preparing another comeback attempt, promising a platform that rejects endless scrolling and algorithm-driven feeds in favor of a different social media experience.
  • The planned relaunch follows the release of a new Myspace documentary, where owners Tim and Chris Vanderhook admit earlier revival efforts failed after years of mismanagement under previous owners.
  • As frustration with today’s social media giants grows, Myspace is betting nostalgia—and less manipulation—can become a winning formula.

CAN MYSPACE MAKE AMERICA SOCIAL AGAIN?

Just when you thought your old “Top 8” drama was safely buried in the internet graveyard, Myspace says it’s coming back.

Again.

The owners of the once-dominant social networking site say they’re preparing another relaunch, hoping to revive one of the internet’s most recognizable brands by offering something many users say they’ve been missing: social media that doesn’t feel like a slot machine.

Brothers Tim and Chris Vanderhook, who own the Myspace brand through their technology company, say the new version will deliberately move away from the algorithm-heavy, engagement-at-all-costs model that dominates today’s online world.

(Image: Instagram)

“We are going to relaunch Myspace,” Tim Vanderhook says in the new documentary Myspace. “We’re just waiting for the right time.”

“And if that one doesn’t work,” he added, “we’ll do it again.”

The brothers aren’t pretending this is their first attempt.

They revealed they previously spent years rebuilding the platform from the ground up after purchasing Myspace, only to discover that the brand had already been battered by years of ownership changes, declining traffic and a loss of its original identity.

“We built an entirely new Myspace,” Chris Vanderhook said.

“We really tried to modernize it,” Tim added. “But it wasn’t the same Myspace.”

For millions of Americans, the name still triggers memories of customizable profile pages, embedded music, HTML backgrounds and the occasionally friendship-ending question of who made your “Top Friends” list.

Between 2005 and 2008, Myspace was the biggest social networking site in the world before Facebook overtook it in users, advertising revenue and cultural influence. By 2009, Facebook had passed Myspace in U.S. traffic, beginning a decline the platform never reversed.

Notably absent from the revival will be Tom Anderson—the co-founder better known as “Tom,” who automatically appeared as every user’s first online friend. Anderson sold the company in 2005 and is not expected to participate in the new effort.

The proposed comeback comes at an interesting moment.

Public confidence in major social media companies has been shaken by ongoing concerns over censorship, data collection, youth mental health and addictive recommendation algorithms. The Vanderhooks say they believe users are increasingly looking for platforms that emphasize communities and creativity instead of maximizing screen time.

Online reaction has been cautiously optimistic.

Across Reddit and other forums, many former Myspace users say they’d happily return—but only if the company restores the features that made the site unique, including profile customization, chronological feeds and personal expression instead of algorithmic recommendations. Others remain skeptical that nostalgia alone can compete against platforms with billions of active users.

The company has not announced a launch date.

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