Alex Berenson: Big Tech making it 'increasingly hard' to offer countering coronavirus views

close

Video

Alex Berenson: Big Tech is censoring different ideas about COVID-19

On 'America's Newsroom,' former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson discusses his op-ed about Big Tech censorship on ideas outside the mainstream about coronavirus.

Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson said Tuesday that Big Tech companies were making it increasingly hard for people to offer opinions outside the mainstream on coronavirus.

"It's really unfortunate," he said. "There are many reasons to believe that lockdowns may have negative effects, school closures have lots of problems for kids, denying them school, masks we could talk about too. And unfortunately, big Tech has essentially censored all discussion of this stuff. I shouldn't say 'all,' but it is increasingly hard, even for reputable people, to get their voices out there."

Berenson said Amazon had repeatedly suppressed his booklets about COVID-19 before relenting under public pressure. His works have offered countervailing views to consensus opinions on things like mask-wearing. Facebook also came under fire after banning users from organizing events that defied government social distancing guidelines.

ALEX BERENSON: COVID AND THE NEW AGE OF CENSORSHIP

Berenson wrote in a new op-ed that "we are sliding into a new age of censorship and suppression" enabled by technology giants and traditional media companies.

"Tech companies aren’t alone in their efforts to stifle debate," he wrote. "Traditional news outlets, book publishers and even scientific journals are reluctant to publish information that challenges ideological orthodoxies."

Berenson pointed to issues like school openings and outdoor dining where scientific opinion has fluctuated throughout the pandemic, from calling them dangerous to saying they are not clearly tied to coronavirus spread.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I don't feel like I'm outside the orthodoxy as much as I've been in front of it, and that's been true of some other people, too," he said.