The End of the .IO Domain?
Have you heard the news? The beloved .io domain might soon be a thing of the past! If you own a website with this domain, should you be worried? Let’s dive into the details.
What’s happening?
On October 3, 2024, the British government announced its decision to transfer control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This has raised questions about the future of the .io domain, which is tied to the ISO code for the Chagos Islands.
The Chagos Islands have a complex and painful history. In the 1960s, the British forcibly evicted the native Chagossians to make way for a U.S. military base. The Chagossians have been fighting for their rights ever since, and this recent decision is a significant step toward addressing past injustices.
Why is the Internet talking about it?
The .io domain has become highly popular, especially among tech startups and gaming platforms. Domains like GitHub.io and itch.io are well-known examples of its association with innovation and technology. In computing, "I/O" stands for input/output, making the domain even more appealing to the tech world. Google's own popular I/O tech conference further boosted its reputation.
However, not everyone knows that .io is a country-specific top-level domain (ccTLD). If the country associated with it changes or ceases to exist, the domain extension could be at risk of being retired. We've seen similar situations before, such as when Yugoslavia’s .YU domain was replaced by .RS (Serbia) and .ME (Montenegro).
Aside from its tech-related appeal, .io’s short and memorable format has made it a favourite for businesses seeking a modern, cutting-edge image. Its potential loss could impact branding for many companies.
What does this mean for you?
If your website uses a .io domain, don’t panic just yet. While online discussions—sparked by an article on Hacker News—are swirling, most commentators lack a full understanding of the situation.
Our take
Luc Seufer, our Chief Legal Officer, sees very little risk of the .io extension being retired anytime soon. The ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency, which manages country codes for domain extensions, cannot take action on its own. As long as no official request is made to remove the .io code, it will stay active.
Even if a request were made, the agency could decide to place .io on its “exceptionally reserved codes” list—just like it did for SU (former USSR), AC (Ascension Island), and UK (United Kingdom). This would preserve .io’s eligibility as a country code TLD.
It’s also not in Mauritius' best interest to push for the removal of .io. Instead, they might leverage this possibility to secure a portion of the domain’s revenue. Considering that Identity Digital (one of the largest registries) and a private equity firm currently own .io, they’re unlikely to let go of this valuable asset without a fight.
One realistic outcome is that the Mauritian government might grant a form of sovereignty to the Chagos Islands to keep the .io domain alive.
Conclusion
While .io is unlikely to disappear, it’s always smart to review your domain portfolio and the potential risks associated with your domain extensions. Remember when .ly (Libya) was the trendy domain? Few realised that websites using .ly had to comply with Sharia law.
For added security, consider registering your own extension, just like Google did with io.google— ensuring it won’t be affected by geopolitical shifts.
Fun facts
According to DomainNameStat, there are over 1.6 million .io domain registrations, compared to just 24,731 for .mu (Mauritius). That means Mauritius' new territory has a much larger internet presence than the country itself!
