IAA SETI Committee releases updated Declaration of Principles for Extraterrestrial signals

Professor Michael Garrett, who chairs the IAA SETI Committee, announced that on June 5, 2026, the committee had released updated guidelines for assessing and disclosing a possible extraterrestrial intelligence detection in Mountain View, CA.

On June 5, 2026, in Mountain View, CA, the SETI Institute news release said the International Academy of Astronautics had approved the revised guidelines for post‑detection protocols. The IAA SETI Committee noted that the 2026 Declaration of Principles is the first major update to the SETI post‑detection protocols since 2010. The SETI Institute news release said the earlier guidelines were from 2010 and had not been revised until the IAA SETI Committee’s 2026 update, which reflects changes in technology and media.

The IAA SETI Committee said the 2026 Declaration of Principles was created to handle a media environment altered by social media, AI and the nonstop news cycle. It added that the updated Declaration sets up a strict framework for verifying signals, sharing data openly and communicating risks worldwide. The announcement said the new protocols consider the fast spread of information online, deepfakes, and the nonstop news cycle.

The Committee said the updated Declaration recognizes that scientists scan the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from infrared heat given off by megastructures to optical lasers and other messenger signals. It also said the updated Declaration offers protection for scientists facing harassment, doxxing or intense media attention during a possible detection. The announcement said the search methods now go beyond radio to include infrared, optical and other messengers.

The Committee said the 2026 Declaration contains steps to distinguish real technosignature data (a signal that could indicate extraterrestrial technology) from viral rumors, hoaxes or terrestrial interference. It further added that the revised rules ban any public announcement of a technosignature until separate teams verify it using different equipment. The announcement stressed that genuine signals must be separated from false claims spreading online.

The Committee repeated that a reply to an alien signal must be decided globally only following UN‑led international discussions. It said the aim is to submit the ratified Declaration to the United Nations and other interested parties. The announcement repeated the longstanding rule that no reply should be sent, saying any reply must be a global decision coordinated through the UN.

The Committee said a formal technical briefing on the updated Declaration will take place at the International Astronautical Congress in Turkey later in 2026. It also said it will set up a standing Post‑Detection Sub‑Committee of social‑science, law and ethics experts to examine the long‑term societal effects of a confirmed extraterrestrial detection. The announcement said the IAA plans to present the updated rules at the forthcoming IAC in Turkey to inform scientists and journalists.

The arXiv paper submitted by Michael Garrett on 15 October 2026 says the 2026 update to the Declaration of Principles for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence offers a framework for handling what happens after researchers find a possible technosignature. The paper adds that, like earlier versions, the 2026 Declaration calls for a confirmation report that records any detected information and makes the data, methods and code openly available. The paper notes that the updated Declaration provides direction on actions to take following a possible technosignature detection.

The arXiv paper notes that the 2026 Declaration is intentionally short and should accompany extra documents that examine specific subjects in greater depth. The paper says it looks at the case of an information‑rich technosignature, which is a signal carrying data, pictures or machine‑readable code. The paper adds that the Declaration stands alone as a short text, while more detailed guidance appears in separate documents.

The paper adds that, unlike a basic beacon, a signal with usable information would shift attention after detection from confirming its reality to handling the data and might encourage rivals to decode and use it. The paper notes that few studies cover information‑rich technosignatures and that geopolitical analyses so far show post‑detection rivalry as a competition among countries. The paper argues that if a signal carries usable data, the main challenge is managing that information instead of proving its reality, and it may encourage competition to decode it.

The paper points out that large firms have computing power, AI tools and, in some cases, their own receivers to search for and examine an extraterrestrial signal without having to share their findings. The paper adds that insufficient research on corporate‑led detection significantly changes the anticipated post‑detection setting. The paper warns that private firms could detect and examine a signal by themselves and might keep the findings confidential.

The paper adds that the situation tests the Declaration’s aim for openness and asks how openness can be kept if powerful non‑SETI actors hold back data. The paper proposes that information‑rich technosignatures be covered in extra guidance and offers a starter list of questions for the SETI community to talk about. The paper argues that the Declaration’s openness principle could be weakened if powerful non‑SETI groups work alone and keep results confidential.