The Streisand effect is named after which singer's 2003 attempt to suppress a coastal photo?

The Streisand effect is named after singer and actress Barbra Streisand, whose 2003 attempt to suppress a coastal photograph unexpectedly drew much greater attention to it. The photograph showed her cliff-top residence in Malibu, California, as part of the California Coastal Records Project.

Photographer Kenneth Adelman’s project documented California’s coastline, including erosion, and contained about 12,000 images. Streisand sued Adelman and Pictopia.com for $50 million, seeking removal of the image labeled “Streisand Estate, Malibu.” The lawsuit was dismissed, and she was ordered to pay $177,000 in attorney fees.

Before the lawsuit, the image had been downloaded only six times, including twice by Streisand’s attorneys. After news of the case spread, more than 420,000 people visited the site in the following month. The failed suppression effort became a classic example of censorship or secrecy backfiring by increasing public awareness.

Techdirt writer Mike Masnick coined the phrase in 2005 while discussing a separate takedown dispute. The effect is related to psychological reactance: once people learn that information is being hidden, they may become more motivated to seek and share it. It does not mean every removal attempt will go viral.