The revised Declaration of Principles, led by University of Manchester astronomer Professor Michael Garrett, marks the first major overhaul of the so-called post-detection protocols in more than 15 years and has now been formally ratified by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
The IAA SETI Committee established a task group in 2022 to re-examine the protocols in light of recent advances in search methodologies, the expansion of international participation in SETI, and the growing complexity of the global information environment.
The updated framework acknowledges that any credible detection of extraterrestrial technology would constitute a transformative moment for humanity, and that the way such news travels has changed dramatically.
“The information environment we operate in today is vastly more complex than it was in 2010,” said Garrett, who chairs the IAA SETI Committee. “In an era of deepfakes, automated misinformation, and instant global connectivity, a single, unverified claim could trigger confusion or panic. These new protocols ensure that scientists maintain the highest standards of evidence before making announcements to the world.”
Central to the revised declaration is a reaffirmation of the scientific bedrock principle that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Under the updated rules, no public announcement can be made until a signal or artefact has been rigorously authenticated by independent organisations using different instrumentation.
The revised protocols also reflect the significant expansion of SETI and technosignature research since 2010. Scientists now investigate the full electromagnetic spectrum, including excess infrared heat signatures potentially consistent with large-scale engineering structures, optical laser emissions and multi-messenger signals, a breadth of inquiry the updated declaration now explicitly recognises.
The new framework also addresses challenges that would have been difficult to anticipate when the previous protocols were drafted. It includes provisions to protect researchers from harassment, doxxing and intense media pressure in the event of a credible detection and establishes clear procedures for distinguishing verified data from hoaxes or interference from terrestrial sources.
On the question of responding to any detected signal, the declaration is unambiguous: no reply should be sent. The declaration reaffirms that transmitting a response to an extraterrestrial intelligence is a decision belonging to all of humanity, one that should only occur following international consultations conducted through the United Nations.
Garrett said: “We do not shout ’alien’ the moment we see a strange blip. The scientific method demands we check, check again, and then ask others to check. Only when we have reached a consensus that a signal is credible do we bring it to the world.”
SETI Institute president and CEO Bill Diamond, an IAA SETI Committee member, welcomed the update.
“The release of these updated rules and protocols marks an important step in acknowledging both the radically different media landscape that science functions within today and the vastly expanded efforts in terms of technology and resources being deployed in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth,” he said.
The IAA will also establish a permanent post-detection subcommittee drawing on expertise across social science, law and ethics to advise on the longer-term societal implications of a confirmed discovery.
With the updated declaration now ratified by the IAA Board, the aim is to see it lodged with additional stakeholders including the United Nations. A formal technical presentation of the protocols to the wider community, including the scientific press, is planned for the International Astronautical Congress later this year.
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