What is the Streisand effect?

The Streisand effect: definition

The Streisand effect is an Internet phenomenon: when a company or a person tries to take down or censor a piece of information, that attempt makes the information spread even farther. The target gets the opposite of what they wanted. The article, video, photo, or audio clip does not disappear. It is shared at scale. That is the Streisand effect.

The Streisand effect appeared in 2005 in the United States, when Barbra Streisand sued the photographer and publisher of an aerial photo of her private Malibu estate and asked her lawyers to have the picture taken down. The photo had been viewed by only 6 people at that point (2 of those views came from the singer and actress’s own lawyers). After the lawsuit and the press coverage, thousands of people opened the page to see the photo.

Trying to hide, censor, or remove information that is already public often produces the opposite result and can make the story popular, even viral. Beyond the nature of the information itself (ordinary or not), the Streisand effect damages the brand image and therefore the e-reputation and SEO of the company or public figure who asked for the takedown. The public reads the move as an abuse of power and authority, and concludes that people have a right to know.