Myspace is looking to offer you a feed that operates without an algorithm. However, Brussels is set to enforce that requirement soon.

      The Vanderhook brothers, whose company Viant Technology owns Myspace, have announced their plans to relaunch the platform. This news was revealed in a documentary titled Myspace, which debuted at Hot Docs in Toronto and features co-founder Chris DeWolfe.

      “We still have ownership of Myspace,” stated Tim Vanderhook. “We are now the caretakers of the Myspace brand, and we plan to relaunch it; we’re just waiting for the opportune moment.”

      What they aim to recreate

      The updated platform is being tailored to include features that users fondly recall, such as Top 8 friends, profile songs, and a chronological feed without algorithms. The idea is to counteract endless scrolling.

      No specific launch date has been provided. The brothers also recognized a previous unsuccessful attempt, with Tim noting that their efforts to modernize the platform were hindered because “it was a different company at that time; it wasn’t the same Myspace.”

      Addressing the differentiation issue

      The challenge of launching an anti-algorithm feed in 2026 is significant, as regulators are already compelling existing platforms to provide one. The European Commission is investigating Meta for its addictive design targeted at children, and their initial findings have suggested that the company should disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default.

      If these findings are upheld, sequential ordering and minimized engagement optimization will cease to be unique features and will instead become a compliance standard across Facebook and Instagram in Europe. Consequently, Myspace would be marketing something that its competitors are legally required to offer.

      The regulatory environment is extensive. Meta has also been found to be in violation of EU law for failing to keep children under 13 off its platforms, which is part of a broader initiative that includes proposals for minimum age requirements.

      Alternative options already exist

      The anti-algorithm stance is already being represented. Bluesky has accumulated over 43 million users and secured a $100 million Series B, establishing its identity based on a chronological default and user-curated feeds.

      It continues to iterate on the precise challenges that Myspace claims to address. A new application called Attie enables users to shape their own feeds by articulating their preferences in simple language, developed by a founder who stepped back from the CEO position at Bluesky to pursue it.

      The audience dilemma

      Nostalgia alone is not a viable growth strategy. Those who remember Myspace warmly are now in their thirties and forties, managing careers and families, making them the demographic least likely to adopt a new social platform.

      This leaves Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who have no nostalgic ties to Myspace, as the primary target. However, they are also subject to increasing regulations, particularly in Europe, which is moving toward age restrictions on social media, complicating efforts to attract teenagers.

      A look at past performance

      Myspace launched in 2003 and was the most visited social network from 2005 to 2008. At its peak, both Myspace and Facebook recorded around 115 million monthly visitors.

      Facebook surpassed Myspace in global traffic in 2008 and unique visitors in the US in 2009, leading to a mass migration in 2010. Co-founder Tom Anderson, who was everyone’s default first friend, sold his shares in 2005 and is expected to have no involvement, having not posted anything in 13 years.

      The reasonable case for a new attempt

      Social media fatigue is a real phenomenon, and existing platforms are being pushed toward designs that do not align with their original business models. There is a genuine opportunity for a platform that does not need to reverse a decade of engagement optimization.

      It remains unclear whether the Myspace brand will be an advantage or a drawback in this endeavor. Tim Vanderhook’s framing suggests modest expectations: if the relaunch fails, he has indicated they will simply keep trying.