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'''.io''' is the Internet country code top-level domain ccTLD nominally assigned to the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]].<ref>{{Citation |title=IDN Code Points Policy for the .IO Top Level Domain |url=http://www.nic.io/IO-IDN-Policy.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218074147/http://www.nic.io/IO-IDN-Policy.pdf |publisher=NIC.IO |access-date=2005-12-11 |archive-date=2005-12-18 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The domain is managed by [[Internet Computer Bureau|Internet Computer Bureau Ltd]], a domain name [[registry]], with registrar services provided by [[Name.com]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NIC.IO - The Official .IO Domain Registry and Network Information Centre |url=https://nic.io/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=nic.io}}</ref>
'''.io''' is the Internet country code top-level domain ccTLD nominally assigned to the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]].<ref>IDN Code Points Policy for the .IO Top Level Domain. NIC.IO. Archived from the original on 2005-12-18. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20051218074147/http://www.nic.io/IO-IDN-Policy.pdf. Accessed 2005-12-11.</ref> The domain is managed by [[Internet Computer Bureau|Internet Computer Bureau Ltd]], a domain name [[registry]], with registrar services provided by [[Name.com]].<ref>NIC.IO - The Official .IO Domain Registry and Network Information Centre. Available at: https://nic.io/. Accessed 2023-12-05.</ref>


[[Google]]'s ad targeting treats .io as a [[generic top-level domain]] (gTLD) because "users and website owners frequently see [the domain] as being more generic than country-targeted."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192 |title=Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites |access-date=5 Oct 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005224021/https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192 |archive-date=5 October 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Google]]'s ad targeting treats .io as a [[generic top-level domain]] (gTLD) because "users and website owners frequently see [the domain] as being more generic than country-targeted."<ref>Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites. Google. Available at: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192. Archived from the original on 2019-10-05 at https://web.archive.org/web/20191005224021/https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192. Accessed 5 Oct 2019.</ref>


==History==
==History==


The .io domain was delegated by the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] to British entrepreneur [[Paul Kane]] in 1997 together with the ccTLDs [[.ac]] (Ascension Island), [[.sh]] (St Helena), and [[.tm]] (Turkmenistan). Kane operated them for private benefit under the trade name "Internet Computer Bureau" from 1997 until 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bridle |first1=James |title=.IO: British Indian Ocean Territory |url=http://citizen-ex.com/stories/io |publisher=Citizen Ex |access-date=2 August 2021 |archive-date=2 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702173249/http://citizen-ex.com/stories/io |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2014, Kane claimed that "profits are distributed to the authorities for them to operate services as they see fit" and that "Each of the overseas territories has an account and the funds are deposited there because obviously the territories have expenses that they incur and it’s offsetting that." However the UK government has repeatedly stated that this is untrue: “There is no agreement between the UK Government and Internet Computer Bureau regarding the administration of the .io domain” and "the Government receives no revenues from the sales or administration of this domain."<ref>{{cite web |title=British Indian Ocean Territory |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/text/140710w0001.htm#14071059000664 |publisher=UK House of Lords |date=10 July 2014 |quote=Question (Asked by Lord Avebury): What plans have Her Majesty’s Government to share the revenues from the sale of the domain name .io with the people of the Chagos Archipelago including the descendants of those who were evicted from the islands? Answer: The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): 'In much the same way as the [[.uk]] domain, the administration of the .io domain has always been carried out by a private sector organisation – this is currently the Internet Computer Bureau. As with the .uk domain, the Government receives no revenues from the sales or administration of this domain, and there are therefore no plans to share these with Chagossians.'}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bridle |first1=James |title=FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST REF: 0347-15 |date=8 April 2015 |url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/262475/response/680710/attach/html/3/Final%20FOI%200347%2015%20to%20James%20Bridle.pdf.html |access-date=17 July 2015 |quote=There is no agreement between the UK Government and ICB regarding the administration of the .io domain.  ICB independently registered the .io  domain through the Internet governing process – the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] (IANA) – in the late 1990s. Neither the UK Government nor the BIOT Administration receives revenue from the sale of .io  domains, which are administered independently by ICB.}}</ref>
The .io domain was delegated by the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] to British entrepreneur [[Paul Kane]] in 1997 together with the ccTLDs [[.ac]] (Ascension Island), [[.sh]] (St Helena), and [[.tm]] (Turkmenistan). Kane operated them for private benefit under the trade name "Internet Computer Bureau" from 1997 until 2017.<ref>.IO: British Indian Ocean Territory. James Bridle, Citizen Ex. Archived from the original on 2021-07-02 at https://web.archive.org/web/20210702173249/http://citizen-ex.com/stories/io. Accessed 2 August 2021.</ref> In 2014, Kane claimed that "profits are distributed to the authorities for them to operate services as they see fit" and that "Each of the overseas territories has an account and the funds are deposited there because obviously the territories have expenses that they incur and it’s offsetting that." However the UK government has repeatedly stated that this is untrue: “There is no agreement between the UK Government and Internet Computer Bureau regarding the administration of the .io domain” and "the Government receives no revenues from the sales or administration of this domain."<ref>British Indian Ocean Territory. UK House of Lords. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/text/140710w0001.htm#14071059000664. Accessed 10 July 2014.</ref>
The first subdomain was registered under .IO in 1998, when Levi Strauss & Co. registered the domain levi.io.<ref>https://www.whois-search.com/whois/levi.io</ref>


In April 2017, Paul Kane sold the Internet Computer Bureau holding company to privately held domain name registry services provider [[Afilias]] for $70.17m in cash.<ref name=domainincite>{{cite web|last1=Murphy|first1=Kevin|date=2018-11-09|title=Afilias bought .io for $70 million|url=http://domainincite.com/23650-afilias-bought-io-for-70-million|accessdate=2020-08-13|website=Domain Incite}}</ref>
The first subdomain was registered under .IO in 1998, when Levi Strauss & Co. registered the domain levi.io.<ref>WHOIS search for levi.io. Available at: https://www.whois-search.com/whois/levi.io.</ref>


In December 2020, Afilias' owner [[Hal Lubsen]] sold it to privately held [[Donuts]] for an undisclosed sum.<ref name=domainnamewire>{{cite news |last1=Allemann |first1=Andrew |title=Breaking: Ethos Capital acquires Donuts |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2021/01/22/breaking-ethos-capital-acquires-donuts/ |access-date=2 August 2021 |publisher=DomainNameWire |date=22 January 2021 |quote=Donuts acquired Afilias last month, and it made sense that Ethos was involved in the deal on the back end. Ethos had investors eager to put money to work in the domain name business after the .org deal fell through. Akram Attallah, CEO of Donuts, told me today that the company’s main focus going forward is working on the integration of Afilias.}}</ref>
In April 2017, Paul Kane sold the Internet Computer Bureau holding company to privately held domain name registry services provider [[Afilias]] for $70.17m in cash.<ref>Afilias bought .io for $70 million. Kevin Murphy, Domain Incite. Available at: http://domainincite.com/23650-afilias-bought-io-for-70-million. Accessed 2020-08-13.</ref>


One month later, in January 2021, Donuts was acquired by private equity firm [[Ethos Capital]], again for an undisclosed sum.<ref name=domainnamewire/>
In December 2020, Afilias' owner [[Hal Lubsen]] sold it to privately held [[Donuts]] for an undisclosed sum.<ref>Breaking: Ethos Capital acquires Donuts. Andrew Allemann, DomainNameWire. Available at: https://domainnamewire.com/2021/01/22/breaking-ethos-capital-acquires-donuts/. Accessed 2 August 2021.</ref>


In 2021, the United Nations' International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled that the United Kingdom has no sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and that sovereignty instead belongs to [[Mauritius]]. This would extinguish the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the IO ISO-3166 two-letter country code and .io domain could also be extinguished. The United Kingdom, which was not a party to the case, disputes and does not recognise the tribunal's decision, so further legal processes are likely.<ref name=bbc-20210128>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55848126 |title=UN court rules UK has no sovereignty over Chagos islands |last=Harding |first=Andrew |work=BBC News |date=28 January 2021 |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref><ref name=lowyinstitute-20210121>{{cite web |url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/diego-garcia-dispute-hits-cyberspace |title=The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace |last1=Mortensen |first1=James |last2=Bashfield |first2=Samuel |publisher=Lowy Institute |work=The Interpreter |date=21 January 2021 |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref> In 2022, the Mauritian government was considering how to progress the issue.<ref name=guardian-20220321>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/mauritius-challenges-uk-rights-over-indian-ocean-domain-name-chagos-islands |title=Mauritius challenges UK rights over Indian Ocean domain name |last=Bowcott |first=Owen |newspaper=The Guardian |date=21 March 2022 |access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref>
In 2021, the United Nations' International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled that the United Kingdom has no sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and that sovereignty instead belongs to [[Mauritius]]. This would extinguish the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the IO ISO-3166 two-letter country code and .io domain could also be extinguished. The United Kingdom, which was not a party to the case, disputes and does not recognise the tribunal's decision, so further legal processes are likely.<ref>UN court rules UK has no sovereignty over Chagos islands. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55848126. Accessed 1 February 2021.</ref><ref>The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace. James Mortensen, Samuel Bashfield, Lowy Institute. Available at: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/diego-garcia-dispute-hits-cyberspace. Accessed 1 February 2021.</ref> In 2022, the Mauritian government was considering how to progress the issue.<ref>Mauritius challenges UK rights over Indian Ocean domain name. Owen Bowcott, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/mauritius-challenges-uk-rights-over-indian-ocean-domain-name-chagos-islands. Accessed 21 March 2022.</ref>


In July 2021, the Chagos Refugee Group UK submitted a complaint to the Irish government against domain-name speculators Paul Kane and Afilias, seeking repatriation of the .IO ("Indian Ocean") country-code top-level domain and payment of back royalties from the $7m/year in revenue generated by the domain.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Levy |first1=Jonathan |title=COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST Afilias Ltd. (Ireland) including its subsidiaries 101domain GRS Limited (Ireland), Internet Computer Bureau Limited (England & British Indian Ocean Territory) In Respect of OECD Guidelines Violations in Operation of ccTLD .io BEFORE THE IRELAND OECD NATIONAL CONTACT POINT |url=http://www.jlevy.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/OECD-July-28-2021-Afilias-Ltd.pdf |publisher=Chagos Refugees Group UK |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref> While attempts to repatriate top-level domains are not uncommon, this one is notable in that it cites consumer and human rights violations of the [[OECD]]'s 2011 OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises rather than multistakeholder representation under [[ICANN]] policy, and because the .io domain has enjoyed commercial success, particularly among cryptocurrency companies, with more than 270,000 domains registered.<ref name=domainincite/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Goldstein |first1=David |title=Chagos Islanders Lodge Complaint With OECD to Get Their .IO Back |date=30 July 2021 |url=https://goldsteinreport.com/chagos-islanders-lodge-complaint-with-oecd-to-get-their-io-back/ |publisher=Goldstein Report |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McCarthy |first1=Kieren |title=Uh-oh .io: Question mark hangs over trendy tech startup domains as UN condemns British empire hangover |url=https://www.theregister.com/2019/05/27/io_domains_uk_un/ |publisher=The Register |date=27 May 2019}}</ref>
In July 2021, the Chagos Refugee Group UK submitted a complaint to the Irish government against domain-name speculators Paul Kane and Afilias, seeking repatriation of the .IO ("Indian Ocean") country-code top-level domain and payment of back royalties from the $7m/year in revenue generated by the domain.<ref>COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST Afilias Ltd. (Ireland) including its subsidiaries 101domain GRS Limited (Ireland), Internet Computer Bureau Limited (England & British Indian Ocean Territory) In Respect of OECD Guidelines Violations in Operation of ccTLD .io BEFORE THE IRELAND OECD NATIONAL CONTACT POINT. Jonathan Levy. Available at: http://www.jlevy.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/OECD-July-28-2021-Afilias-Ltd.pdf. Accessed 2 August 2021.</ref> While attempts to repatriate top-level domains are not uncommon, this one is notable in that it cites consumer and human rights violations of the [[OECD]]'s 2011 OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises rather than multistakeholder representation under [[ICANN]] policy, and because the .io domain has enjoyed commercial success, particularly among cryptocurrency companies, with more than 270,000 domains registered.<ref>Chagos Islanders Lodge Complaint With OECD to Get Their .IO Back. David Goldstein, Goldstein Report. Available at: https://goldsteinreport.com/chagos-islanders-lodge-complaint-with-oecd-to-get-their-io-back/. Accessed 2 August 2021.</ref><ref>Uh-oh .io: Question mark hangs over trendy tech startup domains as UN condemns British empire hangover. Kieren McCarthy, The Register. Available at: https://www.theregister.com/2019/05/27/io_domains_uk_un/. Accessed 27 May 2019.</ref>


==Registration and restrictions==
==Registration and restrictions==
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Individuals and organisations are allowed to register .io domains.
Individuals and organisations are allowed to register .io domains.


Labels for .io domains may only contain alphanumeric characters and hyphens, and must be between 3 and 63 characters long. Domain names cannot begin or end with a hyphen symbol, and may not contain two consecutive hyphens. The entire domain name may not contain more than 253 characters.<ref name="rfc1034">{{IETF RFC|1035}}, ''Domain names--Implementation and specification'', P. Mockapetris (Nov 1987)</ref>
Labels for .io domains may only contain alphanumeric characters and hyphens, and must be between 3 and 63 characters long. Domain names cannot begin or end with a hyphen symbol, and may not contain two consecutive hyphens. The entire domain name may not contain more than 253 characters.<ref>Domain names--Implementation and specification. P. Mockapetris, IETF RFC 1035 (Nov 1987).</ref>


Applicants for the registration of .io domains do not need to be registered or established in the British Indian Ocean Territory. Third-level domains, such as "xyz.com.io", can only be registered by an inhabitant of the area. (Since there are no legal, permanent inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory, theoretically no third-level domains will be registered.) Any second-level domains used by [[NIC.io|NIC.IO]] and top-level domains cannot be used as a third-level domain. For example, the domains "com.com.io", "org.com.io", and "biz.com.io" are all restricted.<ref name="nic.io rules">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nic.io/rules.html |title=RULES for the .IO Domain and Sub-Domains |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051023213418/http://www.nic.io/rules.html |archive-date=2005-10-23 |access-date=2005-07-30}}</ref>
Applicants for the registration of .io domains do not need to be registered or established in the British Indian Ocean Territory. Third-level domains, such as "xyz.com.io", can only be registered by an inhabitant of the area. (Since there are no legal, permanent inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory, theoretically no third-level domains will be registered.) Any second-level domains used by NIC.IO and top-level domains cannot be used as a third-level domain. For example, the domains "com.com.io", "org.com.io", and "biz.com.io" are all restricted.<ref>RULES for the .IO Domain and Sub-Domains. NIC.IO. Archived from the original on 2005-10-23 at https://web.archive.org/web/20051023213418/http://www.nic.io/rules.html. Accessed 2005-07-30.</ref>


Domain names in .io may not be used, "for any purpose that is sexual or pornographic or that is against the statutory laws of any nation." If this requirement is breached, "NIC.IO reserves the right to immediately deactivate the offending registration."<ref name="nic.io" />
Domain names in .io may not be used, "for any purpose that is sexual or pornographic or that is against the statutory laws of any nation." If this requirement is breached, "NIC.IO reserves the right to immediately deactivate the offending registration."<ref>.IO Domain Name Registration price list. NIC.IO. Archived from the original on 2017-01-22 at https://web.archive.org/web/20170122144009/http://nic.io/pricelist.xzx. Accessed 2016-10-02.</ref>


.io domains may be registered for a minimum of one year, and a maximum of 5 years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nic.io/pricelist.xzx |title=.IO Domain Name Registration price list |website=nic.io |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122144009/http://nic.io/pricelist.xzx |archive-date=2017-01-22 |access-date=2016-10-02}}</ref>
.io domains may be registered for a minimum of one year, and a maximum of 5 years.<ref>Cheapest .io Domain Registration, Renewal, Transfer Prices. TLD-List. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29 at https://web.archive.org/web/20230529204339/https://tld-list.com/tld/io. Accessed 2023-05-29.</ref>
 
Domain names in .io are priced higher than those in many other TLDs. Registering an available .io-domain as of June, 2023, costs US$36 per year.<ref name="nic.io">{{Cite web |title=Cheapest .io Domain Registration, Renewal, Transfer Prices {{!}} TLD-List |url=https://tld-list.com/tld/io |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529204339/https://tld-list.com/tld/io |archive-date=2023-05-29 |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=spaceship.com}}</ref>


==Usage==
==Usage==
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The .io domain is used almost exclusively for purposes unrelated to the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The .io domain is used almost exclusively for purposes unrelated to the British Indian Ocean Territory.


In computer science, "IO" or "I/O" is commonly used as an abbreviation for input/output, which makes the .io domain desirable for services that want to be associated with technology. .io domains are often used for open source projects, application programming interfaces ("APIs"), startup companies,browser games, and other online services.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://techslides.com/io-domains-in-alexa-top-1-million |title=IO Domains in Alexa Top 1 Million. |access-date=27 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527204917/http://techslides.com/io-domains-in-alexa-top-1-million |archive-date=27 May 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In computer science, "IO" or "I/O" is commonly used as an abbreviation for input/output, which makes the .io domain desirable for services that want to be associated with technology. .io domains are often used for open source projects, application programming interfaces ("APIs"), startup companies, browser games, and other online services.<ref>IO Domains in Alexa Top 1 Million. TechSlides. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27 at https://web.archive.org/web/20150527204917/http://techslides.com/io-domains-in-alexa-top-1-million. Accessed 27 May 2015.</ref>


The TLD is also used for domain hacks, as the letters "io" are an ending of many English terms. For example, Rub.io is a shortened URL that was used for Marco Rubio presidential campaign.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}
The TLD is also used for domain hacks, as the letters "io" are an ending of many English terms. For example, Rub.io is a shortened URL that was used for Marco Rubio's presidential campaign. [citation needed]


One reason given for the TLD's popularity is that it stands out by being shorter than other TLDs. Also, the .io TLD is less occupied than other TLDs, so it is more likely that a given term is available there.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.name.com/blog/business/2013/10/why-are-startups-turning-to-io/ |title=Why are startups turning to .IO? |date=2013-10-17 |website=Name.com Blog |language=en-US |access-date=2017-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404215838/http://www.name.com/blog/business/2013/10/why-are-startups-turning-to-io/ |archive-date=2017-04-04 |url-status=live }}</ref>
One reason given for the TLD's popularity is that it stands out by being shorter than other TLDs. Also, the .io TLD is less occupied than other TLDs, so it is more likely that a given term is available there.<ref>Why are startups turning to .IO? Name.com Blog. Archived from the original on 2017-04-04 at https://web.archive.org/web/20170404215838/http://www.name.com/blog/business/2013/10/why-are-startups-turning-to-io/. Accessed 2017-04-05.</ref>


===.io games===
===.io games===


Around 2015 a multiplayer game, ''Agar.io'', spawned many other games with a similar multiplayer playstyle that used the .io domain, such as ''Diep.io'', ''Slither.io'', ''Surviv.io'', and ''ZombsRoyale.io''. Such games are collectively called ".io games".<ref name="Takahashi">{{cite web|last1=Takahashi|first1=Dean|title=The surprising momentum behind games like Agar.io|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/11/the-surprising-momentum-behind-io-games-like-agar-io/|work=[[VentureBeat]]|access-date=5 May 2018|date=2017}}</ref>
Around 2015 a multiplayer game, ''Agar.io'', spawned many other games with a similar multiplayer playstyle that used the .io domain, such as ''Diep.io'', ''Slither.io'', ''Surviv.io'', and ''ZombsRoyale.io''. Such games are collectively called ".io games".<ref>The surprising momentum behind games like Agar.io. Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat. Available at: https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/11/the-surprising-momentum-behind-io-games-like-agar-io/. Accessed 5 May 2018.</ref>


==Controversy==
==Controversy==


According to a 2014 Gigaom interview with Paul Kane, then chairman of the Internet Computer Bureau, the domain name registry is required to give some of its profits to the British government, for administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory.<ref name="gigaom">{{Cite web |url=https://gigaom.com/2014/06/30/the-dark-side-of-io-how-the-u-k-is-making-web-domain-profits-from-a-shady-cold-war-land-deal/ |title=The dark side of .io: How the U.K. is making web domain profits from a shady Cold War land deal |last=David Meyer |date=2014-06-30 |publisher=gigaom.com |access-date=2014-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905192228/http://gigaom.com/2014/06/30/the-dark-side-of-io-how-the-u-k-is-making-web-domain-profits-from-a-shady-cold-war-land-deal/ |archive-date=2014-09-05 |url-status=live }}</ref> After being questioned as a result of the interview, the British Government denied receiving any funds from the sale of .io domain names, and argued that consequently, the profits could not be shared with the Chagossians, the former inhabitants forcibly removed by the British government.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ICT.IO |date=2016-10-26 |title=The dark side of the .io extension |url=https://ict.io/en/the-dark-side-of-the-io-extension/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=ict.io |language=en-US}}</ref> Kane, however, contradicted the government's denial.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/writtens/11082014.htm#hdg-Internet |title=House of Lords Summer Recess 2014 Written Answers and Statements |date=2014-08-11 |publisher=parliament.uk |access-date=2019-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404113643/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/writtens/11082014.htm#hdg-Internet |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gigaom.com/2014/07/11/uk-government-denies-receiving-io-domain-profits/ |title=UK government denies receiving .io domain profits |last=David Meyer |date=2014-07-11 |website=gigaom.com |access-date=2015-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501033258/https://gigaom.com/2014/07/11/uk-government-denies-receiving-io-domain-profits/ |archive-date=2015-05-01 |url-status=live }}</ref>
According to a 2014 Gigaom interview with Paul Kane, then chairman of the Internet Computer Bureau, the domain name registry is required to give some of its profits to the British government, for administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory.<ref>The dark side of .io: How the U.K. is making web domain profits from a shady Cold War land deal. David Meyer, gigaom.com. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05 at https://web.archive.org/web/20140905192228/http://gigaom.com/2014/06/30/the-dark-side-of-io-how-the-u-k-is-making-web-domain-profits-from-a-shady-cold-war-land-deal/. Accessed 2014-09-06.</ref> After being questioned as a result of the interview, the British Government denied receiving any funds from the sale of .io domain names, and argued that consequently, the profits could not be shared with the Chagossians, the former inhabitants forcibly removed by the British government.<ref>The dark side of the .io extension. ICT.IO. Available at: https://ict.io/en/the-dark-side-of-the-io-extension/. Accessed 2022-10-19.</ref> Kane, however, contradicted the government's denial.<ref>House of Lords Summer Recess 2014 Written Answers and Statements. UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04 at https://web.archive.org/web/20190404113643/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/writtens/11082014.htm#hdg-Internet. Accessed 2019-04-04.</ref><ref>UK government denies receiving .io domain profits. David Meyer, gigaom.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-01 at https://web.archive.org/web/20150501033258/https://gigaom.com/2014/07/11/uk-government-denies-receiving-io-domain-profits/. Accessed 2015-05-19.</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 02:02, 14 June 2024

.io is the Internet country code top-level domain ccTLD nominally assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory.[1] The domain is managed by Internet Computer Bureau Ltd, a domain name registry, with registrar services provided by Name.com.[2]

Google's ad targeting treats .io as a generic top-level domain (gTLD) because "users and website owners frequently see [the domain] as being more generic than country-targeted."[3]

History[edit | edit source]

The .io domain was delegated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority to British entrepreneur Paul Kane in 1997 together with the ccTLDs .ac (Ascension Island), .sh (St Helena), and .tm (Turkmenistan). Kane operated them for private benefit under the trade name "Internet Computer Bureau" from 1997 until 2017.[4] In 2014, Kane claimed that "profits are distributed to the authorities for them to operate services as they see fit" and that "Each of the overseas territories has an account and the funds are deposited there because obviously the territories have expenses that they incur and it’s offsetting that." However the UK government has repeatedly stated that this is untrue: “There is no agreement between the UK Government and Internet Computer Bureau regarding the administration of the .io domain” and "the Government receives no revenues from the sales or administration of this domain."[5]

The first subdomain was registered under .IO in 1998, when Levi Strauss & Co. registered the domain levi.io.[6]

In April 2017, Paul Kane sold the Internet Computer Bureau holding company to privately held domain name registry services provider Afilias for $70.17m in cash.[7]

In December 2020, Afilias' owner Hal Lubsen sold it to privately held Donuts for an undisclosed sum.[8]

In 2021, the United Nations' International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled that the United Kingdom has no sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and that sovereignty instead belongs to Mauritius. This would extinguish the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the IO ISO-3166 two-letter country code and .io domain could also be extinguished. The United Kingdom, which was not a party to the case, disputes and does not recognise the tribunal's decision, so further legal processes are likely.[9][10] In 2022, the Mauritian government was considering how to progress the issue.[11]

In July 2021, the Chagos Refugee Group UK submitted a complaint to the Irish government against domain-name speculators Paul Kane and Afilias, seeking repatriation of the .IO ("Indian Ocean") country-code top-level domain and payment of back royalties from the $7m/year in revenue generated by the domain.[12] While attempts to repatriate top-level domains are not uncommon, this one is notable in that it cites consumer and human rights violations of the OECD's 2011 OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises rather than multistakeholder representation under ICANN policy, and because the .io domain has enjoyed commercial success, particularly among cryptocurrency companies, with more than 270,000 domains registered.[13][14]

Registration and restrictions[edit | edit source]

Individuals and organisations are allowed to register .io domains.

Labels for .io domains may only contain alphanumeric characters and hyphens, and must be between 3 and 63 characters long. Domain names cannot begin or end with a hyphen symbol, and may not contain two consecutive hyphens. The entire domain name may not contain more than 253 characters.[15]

Applicants for the registration of .io domains do not need to be registered or established in the British Indian Ocean Territory. Third-level domains, such as "xyz.com.io", can only be registered by an inhabitant of the area. (Since there are no legal, permanent inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory, theoretically no third-level domains will be registered.) Any second-level domains used by NIC.IO and top-level domains cannot be used as a third-level domain. For example, the domains "com.com.io", "org.com.io", and "biz.com.io" are all restricted.[16]

Domain names in .io may not be used, "for any purpose that is sexual or pornographic or that is against the statutory laws of any nation." If this requirement is breached, "NIC.IO reserves the right to immediately deactivate the offending registration."[17]

.io domains may be registered for a minimum of one year, and a maximum of 5 years.[18]

Usage[edit | edit source]

The .io domain is used almost exclusively for purposes unrelated to the British Indian Ocean Territory.

In computer science, "IO" or "I/O" is commonly used as an abbreviation for input/output, which makes the .io domain desirable for services that want to be associated with technology. .io domains are often used for open source projects, application programming interfaces ("APIs"), startup companies, browser games, and other online services.[19]

The TLD is also used for domain hacks, as the letters "io" are an ending of many English terms. For example, Rub.io is a shortened URL that was used for Marco Rubio's presidential campaign. [citation needed]

One reason given for the TLD's popularity is that it stands out by being shorter than other TLDs. Also, the .io TLD is less occupied than other TLDs, so it is more likely that a given term is available there.[20]

.io games[edit | edit source]

Around 2015 a multiplayer game, Agar.io, spawned many other games with a similar multiplayer playstyle that used the .io domain, such as Diep.io, Slither.io, Surviv.io, and ZombsRoyale.io. Such games are collectively called ".io games".[21]

Controversy[edit | edit source]

According to a 2014 Gigaom interview with Paul Kane, then chairman of the Internet Computer Bureau, the domain name registry is required to give some of its profits to the British government, for administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory.[22] After being questioned as a result of the interview, the British Government denied receiving any funds from the sale of .io domain names, and argued that consequently, the profits could not be shared with the Chagossians, the former inhabitants forcibly removed by the British government.[23] Kane, however, contradicted the government's denial.[24][25]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ IDN Code Points Policy for the .IO Top Level Domain. NIC.IO. Archived from the original on 2005-12-18. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20051218074147/http://www.nic.io/IO-IDN-Policy.pdf. Accessed 2005-12-11.
  2. ↑ NIC.IO - The Official .IO Domain Registry and Network Information Centre. Available at: https://nic.io/. Accessed 2023-12-05.
  3. ↑ Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites. Google. Available at: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192. Archived from the original on 2019-10-05 at https://web.archive.org/web/20191005224021/https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192. Accessed 5 Oct 2019.
  4. ↑ .IO: British Indian Ocean Territory. James Bridle, Citizen Ex. Archived from the original on 2021-07-02 at https://web.archive.org/web/20210702173249/http://citizen-ex.com/stories/io. Accessed 2 August 2021.
  5. ↑ British Indian Ocean Territory. UK House of Lords. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/text/140710w0001.htm#14071059000664. Accessed 10 July 2014.
  6. ↑ WHOIS search for levi.io. Available at: https://www.whois-search.com/whois/levi.io.
  7. ↑ Afilias bought .io for $70 million. Kevin Murphy, Domain Incite. Available at: http://domainincite.com/23650-afilias-bought-io-for-70-million. Accessed 2020-08-13.
  8. ↑ Breaking: Ethos Capital acquires Donuts. Andrew Allemann, DomainNameWire. Available at: https://domainnamewire.com/2021/01/22/breaking-ethos-capital-acquires-donuts/. Accessed 2 August 2021.
  9. ↑ UN court rules UK has no sovereignty over Chagos islands. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55848126. Accessed 1 February 2021.
  10. ↑ The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace. James Mortensen, Samuel Bashfield, Lowy Institute. Available at: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/diego-garcia-dispute-hits-cyberspace. Accessed 1 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Mauritius challenges UK rights over Indian Ocean domain name. Owen Bowcott, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/mauritius-challenges-uk-rights-over-indian-ocean-domain-name-chagos-islands. Accessed 21 March 2022.
  12. ↑ COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST Afilias Ltd. (Ireland) including its subsidiaries 101domain GRS Limited (Ireland), Internet Computer Bureau Limited (England & British Indian Ocean Territory) In Respect of OECD Guidelines Violations in Operation of ccTLD .io BEFORE THE IRELAND OECD NATIONAL CONTACT POINT. Jonathan Levy. Available at: http://www.jlevy.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/OECD-July-28-2021-Afilias-Ltd.pdf. Accessed 2 August 2021.
  13. ↑ Chagos Islanders Lodge Complaint With OECD to Get Their .IO Back. David Goldstein, Goldstein Report. Available at: https://goldsteinreport.com/chagos-islanders-lodge-complaint-with-oecd-to-get-their-io-back/. Accessed 2 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Uh-oh .io: Question mark hangs over trendy tech startup domains as UN condemns British empire hangover. Kieren McCarthy, The Register. Available at: https://www.theregister.com/2019/05/27/io_domains_uk_un/. Accessed 27 May 2019.
  15. ↑ Domain names--Implementation and specification. P. Mockapetris, IETF RFC 1035 (Nov 1987).
  16. ↑ RULES for the .IO Domain and Sub-Domains. NIC.IO. Archived from the original on 2005-10-23 at https://web.archive.org/web/20051023213418/http://www.nic.io/rules.html. Accessed 2005-07-30.
  17. ↑ .IO Domain Name Registration price list. NIC.IO. Archived from the original on 2017-01-22 at https://web.archive.org/web/20170122144009/http://nic.io/pricelist.xzx. Accessed 2016-10-02.
  18. ↑ Cheapest .io Domain Registration, Renewal, Transfer Prices. TLD-List. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29 at https://web.archive.org/web/20230529204339/https://tld-list.com/tld/io. Accessed 2023-05-29.
  19. ↑ IO Domains in Alexa Top 1 Million. TechSlides. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27 at https://web.archive.org/web/20150527204917/http://techslides.com/io-domains-in-alexa-top-1-million. Accessed 27 May 2015.
  20. ↑ Why are startups turning to .IO? Name.com Blog. Archived from the original on 2017-04-04 at https://web.archive.org/web/20170404215838/http://www.name.com/blog/business/2013/10/why-are-startups-turning-to-io/. Accessed 2017-04-05.
  21. ↑ The surprising momentum behind games like Agar.io. Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat. Available at: https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/11/the-surprising-momentum-behind-io-games-like-agar-io/. Accessed 5 May 2018.
  22. ↑ The dark side of .io: How the U.K. is making web domain profits from a shady Cold War land deal. David Meyer, gigaom.com. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05 at https://web.archive.org/web/20140905192228/http://gigaom.com/2014/06/30/the-dark-side-of-io-how-the-u-k-is-making-web-domain-profits-from-a-shady-cold-war-land-deal/. Accessed 2014-09-06.
  23. ↑ The dark side of the .io extension. ICT.IO. Available at: https://ict.io/en/the-dark-side-of-the-io-extension/. Accessed 2022-10-19.
  24. ↑ House of Lords Summer Recess 2014 Written Answers and Statements. UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04 at https://web.archive.org/web/20190404113643/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/writtens/11082014.htm#hdg-Internet. Accessed 2019-04-04.
  25. ↑ UK government denies receiving .io domain profits. David Meyer, gigaom.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-01 at https://web.archive.org/web/20150501033258/https://gigaom.com/2014/07/11/uk-government-denies-receiving-io-domain-profits/. Accessed 2015-05-19.
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