This is a phrase that is not yet included formally and officially in any of the major dictionaries.
However, the Collins English Dictionary has it listed in their collection of suggested new words.
And here’s their definition of the ‘Streisand effect’: ‘an internet phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide information or an image etc results in the information becoming more widespread.’
This slightly bizarre effect (and phrase) arose because Barbra Streisand attempted to suppress the publication of a photograph of her hilltop home in Malibu.
The photo was taken by Mike Masnik in 2003 as one of 12,000 California coastline photographs in a project that was attempted to draw the problem of coastal erosion to the attention of the Californian government.
It was marked as ‘Image 3850’ and was labelled as ‘Streisand Estate, Malibu’ in an aerial photograph in which Streisand’s mansion was visible.
(Of course, the point of the photo was to show the coastal erosion below her house!)
Streisand sued the photographer and publisher for $50 million.
She lost the case and was ordered to pay legal fees of $177,000.
Before her lawsuit the image had been viewed online six times.
The publicity generated by the lawsuit meant that the image was viewed by more 420,000 people.
That’s the ‘Streisand effect.’
In her autobiography (My Name is Barbra, 2023) Streisand wrote: ‘My issue was never with the photo ... it was only about the use of my name attached to the photo. I felt I was standing up for a principle, but in retrospect, it was a mistake. I also assumed that my lawyer had done exactly as I wished and simply asked them to take my name off the photo.’
But that’s how it works.
Draw attention to something you don’t want people to notice—and whammo, they notice!
Every time Anthony Albanese gave detailed reasons why there shouldn’t be a royal commission into the Bondi terrorist attack he was making it more and more certain that there would be a royal commission.
He didn’t talk it down—he drew attention to it.
That is the ‘Streisand effect.’
There are countless examples.
You may remember the attempt by the British government to ban the publication of Peter Wright’s book Spycatcher (his memoirs of working for MI5).
All that did was to attract attention and ensure the book was read and not forgotten.
The ‘Streisand effect.’
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