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Published 2 Aug 2013

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The Streisand Effect explained

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The Streisand effect describes what happens when you try to censor or suppress information—and in doing so, you draw far more attention to it than it ever had before. The name comes from an incident involving Barbra Streisand in 2003. She attempted to have an aerial photograph of her house removed from a publicly available collection of California coastline images. The images were intended to document coastal erosion, not celebrity homes. Before the legal action, the photo had reportedly been viewed only a handful of times. After the attempt to remove it, interest exploded and views of the photo apparently went from 6 to 420,000. The attempt to suppress the information became the story. The term Streisand Effect was later coined by Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt, to describe this recurring pattern. What does the Streisand Effect mean? The Streisand Effect is about attention. Attempts to hide or erase something can signal that something is worth looking at. Efforts to suppress information can: Trigger curiosity Signal importance or guilt (even when none exists) Encourage people to share something specifically because it is being discouraged (see The Boaty McBoatface Effect) Ironically, doing nothing is often the least effective way to spread something. Streisand Effect examples Barbra Streisand’s house The original case. A low-interest image became globally famous because of an attempt to remove it. Monty Python’s Life of Brian Life of Brian follows a man born in a stable who is mistaken dof Jesus. Before its release in 1979, Life of Brian faced protests and bans for alleged blasphemy. Councils debated it, churches condemned it, and some cinemas refused to show it. The controversy dramatically increased public awareness. Many people went to see the film precisely because it was controversial. Eric Idle—one of the Pythons—in Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, said: "Half of the UK banned it and the other half flocked to see it. Sweden advertised it as the movie so funny that Norwegians weren’t allowed to see it." Government Documents and Redactions Governments removing or redacting material is a prime case for the Streisand Effect. Quietly erasing material, if it's noticed, is often a recipe for drawing intrigue as to why it was erased. Sometimes the best way to stop something spreading is to let it quietly fade. Trying to censor or hide information can be the best way to draw attention to it. Related Ideas to The Streisand Effect Also see: The Law of Unintended Consequences The Cobra Effect Campbell's Law Goodhart's Law The Boaty McBoatface EffectThe Streisand effect describes what happens when you try to censor or suppress information—and in doing so, you draw far more attention to it than it ever had before. The name comes from an incident involving Barbra Streisand in 2003. She attempted to have an aerial photograph of her house removed from a publicly available collection of California coastline images. The images were intended to document coastal erosion, not celebrity homes. Before the legal action, the photo had reportedly been viewed only a handful of times. After the attempt to remove it, interest exploded and views of the photo apparently went from 6 to 420,000. The attempt to suppress the information became the story. The term Streisand Effect was later coined by Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt, to describe this recurring pattern. What does the Streisand Effect mean? The Streisand Effect is about attention. Attempts to hide or erase something can signal that something is worth looking at. Efforts to suppress information can: Trigger curiosity Signal importance or guilt (even when none exists) Encourage people to share something specifically because it is being discouraged (see The Boaty McBoatface Effect) Ironically, doing nothing is often the least effective way to spread something. Streisand Effect examples Barbra Streisand’s house The original case. A low-interest image became globally famous because of an attempt to remove it. Monty Python’s Life of Brian Life of Brian follows a man born in a stable who is mistaken dof Jesus. Before its release in 1979, Life of Brian faced protests and bans for alleged blasphemy. Councils debated it, churches condemned it, and some cinemas refused to show it. The controversy dramatically increased public awareness. Many people went to see the film precisely because it was controversial. Eric Idle—one of the Pythons—in Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, said: "Half of the UK banned it and the other half flocked to see it. Sweden advertised it as the movie so funny that Norwegians weren’t allowed to see it." Government Documents and Redactions Governments removing or redacting material is a prime case for the Streisand Effect. Quietly erasing material, if it's noticed, is often a recipe for drawing intrigue as to why it was erased. Sometimes the best way to stop something spreading is to let it quietly fade. Trying to censor or hide information can be the best way to draw attention to it. Related Ideas to The Streisand Effect Also see: The Law of Unintended Consequences The Cobra Effect Campbell's Law Goodhart's Law The Boaty McBoatface Effect

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