Streisand effect
a phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely, usually facilitated by the Internet
The Streisand effect is a name for a phenomenon. It is when an attempt to remove or censor a piece of information accidentally makes it more popular. The effect is named after American singer Barbra Streisand. In 2003, Streisand's lawyer tried to remove a photo of her house from a collection of thousands of photos of Malibu, California. However, the attempt to remove the photograph made it more interesting and share-able to media reporters.[1][2][3]
The same effect has occurred when countries, organizations, and people try to hide something.
See also
change- Perverse incentive ("Cobra effect")
- List of Streisand effect examples
References
change- ↑ Burnett, Dean (May 22, 2015). "Why government censorship [in no way at all] carries greater risks than benefits". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ↑ Canton, David (November 5, 2005). "Today's Business Law: Attempt to suppress can backfire". The London Free Press. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
The 'Streisand effect' is what happens when someone tries to suppress something and the opposite occurs. The act of suppressing it raises the profile, making it much more well known than it ever would have been.
- ↑ Mugrabi, Sunshine (January 22, 2007). "YouTube – Censored? Offending Paula Abdul clips are abruptly taken down". Red Herring. Archived from the original on February 18, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
Another unintended consequence of this move could be that it extends the kerfuffle over Ms. Abdul's behavior rather than addressing it. Mr. Nguyen called this the 'Barbra Streisand effect', referring to that actress's insistence that paparazzi photos of her mansion not be used