Comment by itafroma

There's very little reason for .io to be used as designated: .io is the TLD for the British Indian Ocean Territory which has been depopulated since the 60s and 70s. It now consists of a nature preserve and a joint British-American naval base.

Now, there is an issue with the Chagossians being forcibly removed from the islands, but should they ever resettle and gain sovereignty, it seems unlikely they'll continue to call themselves the British Indian Ocean Territory, necessitating a TLD change anyway (a la .su, .tp, and .an).