As Congress Dithers, States Step In to Set Rules for the Internet

Virginia, Florida, Arkansas and Maryland are among dozens of states that have introduced bills to curtail the power of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Twitter.

WASHINGTON — News outlets in Florida may soon be able to sue Facebook and Twitter if the social media companies take down their content. Arkansans shopping on Amazon will be able to see contact information for third-party merchants, which the site won’t be required to show people outside the state. Residents of Virginia can ask Google and Facebook not to sell their personal data, and the state can sue the companies if they don’t comply.