In 2003, Barbara Streisand sued photographer Kenneth Adelman for $50 million after he published an aerial photograph of the California coastline that included her mansion. The image was one of more than 12,000 coastal photographs created for a nonprofit documentation project.
Ironically, before the story gained traction, the image had reportedly been downloaded only six times, including twice by Streisand's own lawyers. Once news of the legal action spread, however, hundreds of thousands of people viewed the photograph, and it quickly spread across the web. Streisand ultimately lost the case and was ordered to pay Adelman's legal fees, while the image of her house went viral — leading to the exact opposite of her intentions.
But what exactly is this the Streisand Effect, and has it happened before Streisand made it famous?
What Is the Streisand Effect?
According to Britannica, the Streisand effect is a phenomenon in which trying to hide, censor, or suppress information instead makes it more visible. Researchers have long noted that censorship can backfire, especially when people perceive that a powerful individual or organization is trying to silence criticism or restrict access to information.
Researchers think several factors may be at play. Attempts to suppress information can spark more curiosity, encouraging people to seek it out for themselves. Common examples include banned books that become bestsellers as well as when censored websites generate higher viewership.
They can also provoke backlash, particularly when the public views the censorship as unfair or heavily handed. The internet has amplified the phenomenon, allowing stories to spread rapidly once they become the focus of public attention.
The effect predates the internet and earned its name from an incident involving singer and actress Barbra Streisand. The term "Streisand effect" itself wasn't coined until 2005 when Techdirt founder Mike Masnick used it to describe another failed attempt to suppress online information.
Read More: Why We Sometimes Avoid the Truth — and Other Times Can’t Stop Seeking It
Other Examples of the Streisand Effect
The Streisand effect has since been cited in a wide range of situations. In 2012, for example, a U.K. court ordered internet service providers to block access to the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay. Instead, media coverage of the ruling was followed by a surge in site visits.
A year later, France's domestic intelligence agency reportedly pressured the French-language Wikipedia to remove an article about a military facility. The controversy attracted widespread attention, and the article went on to become one of the most-viewed pages on the French version of Wikipedia.
This article has been updated by Discover Staff for clarification purposes.
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