When a powerful person, company, or institution deliberately floods the internet with unrelated but highly searchable content in order to bury or “deflect” attention from an embarrassing rumor, scandal, or conspiracy.
The move usually involves releasing something with the exact same keyword as the damaging story, so when people Google it, they get the official, harmless version instead of the scandal.
Examples:
• People joked that Disney named the movie Frozen so that when you search “Disney Frozen,” you get the animated princess and not stories about Walt Disney’s frozen head.
• Rumors spread that Beyoncé had a year-long affair with her bodyguard; not long after, she dropped a song called Bodyguard.
• Gross gossip about Dubai “chocolate porta-potties” parties started circulating, then suddenly “Dubai Chocolate” became a big marketing push.
The move usually involves releasing something with the exact same keyword as the damaging story, so when people Google it, they get the official, harmless version instead of the scandal.
Examples:
• People joked that Disney named the movie Frozen so that when you search “Disney Frozen,” you get the animated princess and not stories about Walt Disney’s frozen head.
• Rumors spread that Beyoncé had a year-long affair with her bodyguard; not long after, she dropped a song called Bodyguard.
• Gross gossip about Dubai “chocolate porta-potties” parties started circulating, then suddenly “Dubai Chocolate” became a big marketing push.
“Bro, Sama is using Sora to make videos of himself commiting ‘crimes’? That’s a Streisand Deflect if I’ve ever seen one…”
by Streissyboi99 October 2, 2025
Get the Streisand Deflectmug.