With Facebook on the ropes, Internet providers seek to press their advantage in Washington

As Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Facebook, defends his company's data practices this week before Congress, one of the nation's largest cable companies is asking federal lawmakers for a bill that would rein in social media platforms, search engines and other tech giants that have access to their users' personal data. Charter Communications is calling for requiring "greater privacy and data security protections" of companies such as Google and Facebook, whose Cambridge Analytica fiasco has inflamed a debate about Silicon Valley's handling of consumers' personal information. Charter's call to more heavily regulate Facebook and Google reflects longstanding tensions between broadband providers and Silicon Valley after years of policy battles under the tech-friendly Obama administration. That rivalry is only growing as Internet providers want a piece of the $209 billion digital advertising market that has been dominated by Bay Area companies that hold vast troves of personal information on consumers.