It looks like the TLD was sold off to a private business by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority in 1997, with those rights subsequently being sold on to other corporations.
The British government have issued an FOI response advising that they recieve no funds from .io domain registrations. The Chagos Islanders still don’t benefit, but it looks like that’d need to be squared with a hedge fund rather than a government.
…It is weird that territorial domains can be auctioned off in the first place though.
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At least Montenegro profits from .me
The Chagos Islanders get nothing from .io which is controlled by their oppressive colonizers.
It looks like the TLD was sold off to a private business by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority in 1997, with those rights subsequently being sold on to other corporations.
The British government have issued an FOI response advising that they recieve no funds from .io domain registrations. The Chagos Islanders still don’t benefit, but it looks like that’d need to be squared with a hedge fund rather than a government.
…It is weird that territorial domains can be auctioned off in the first place though.
I’d forgotten that detail. IANA couldn’t have sold it to a British businessman without the permission of the Brits as they ruled over the territory.
Chagos Islanders want it but I doubt they will ever get it.
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Today I learn
There is nothing for them to take back, they have company that manages .me… so it’s theirs to selm to you.