WhereIsAtlas · Tech
Friendster
One of the first social networks — a pioneer that was outpaced by rivals and shut down, its patents sold
Defunct — Friendster, launched in 2002, was one of the first major social networks and a pioneer of online profiles and connections. It was overtaken by rivals like MySpace and Facebook, pivoted to gaming, and was shut down in 2015, with its social-networking patents sold.
Friendster launched in 2002 and is widely credited as one of the first true social networks. It let people build profiles, connect with friends and explore networks of friends-of-friends — ideas that became foundational to everything that followed.
But Friendster struggled with its own rapid growth, and its technical and social problems opened the door for rivals. MySpace, and then Facebook, overtook it, becoming the defining social platforms.
Friendster reinvented itself as a social gaming site for a time, but the brand faded. It was shut down in 2015, and its social-networking patents were sold. The app's loss was the world's gain — Friendster pioneered a model that reshaped how billions of people connect online.
Quick facts
- Launched
- 2002
- Pioneer
- One of the first social networks
- Overtaken by
- MySpace, then Facebook
- Pivot
- Social gaming
- Shut down
- 2015
- Patents
- Sold after shutdown
- Legacy
- Helped invent social networking
Sources
- Friendster - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
- Social media sites of the past — YugaTech (2026-09-05)