"Favelas are areas of intense activity of drug trafficking, which promotes constant conflicts between rival gangs and the police. Drug dealers stipulate curfews and prohibit people from hanging out on the streets at certain times. Socialization in the slum, which takes place in the streets, back alleys and squares, ends up being inhibited. The Internet has been a great ally to reconnect family members and friends around the favela, where physical visits to distant areas are not always easy."

“groups work tirelessly to delegitimise the democratic institutions in Brazil. These groups make and distribute fake news as a way to take advantage of people's fears and vulnerabilities. As people hope for a solution and as a fix to the fears, they promote the narrative of pro-military intervention.”

“You may notice a stark disconnect between the favela and digital technologies used there. This is not due to lack of education in the slum, but rather to a lack of education of those who develop the technologies without knowing the favela.”

“This premise -- that technology only came to promote progress -- puts us in great danger since there is no questioning of its functionality, problem-solving, advantages and disadvantages. Without consciousness of the use of digital technologies, we end up being cast in a way that is imposed on us. Having a critical approach is necessary to shape the technologies to respect our culture, customs and needs.”

“The Telecenter and LAN house are good examples of how things work in Brazil. The Telecenter has rules, limits and control; in the LAN house the user is free to do whatever she wants, as long as she pays for the hour. It is the constant clash between the regulatory welfare state and the neoliberal policies.”

“Even though there are mobile devices in the favela, people still need fixed centers like Telecenters and LAN houses. Such centers are points of reference for Internet access where people keep their profiles on social networking sites and download enough music, photos and videos to last until they can return. Not only for Internet access, these centers become important spaces where people share different experiences with their phones and tablets and eventually empower themselves.”

“Informal education and situated knowledge in the favelas become powerful weapons to promote digital inclusion since formal education imposed on residents is decontextualized and no longer meets their needs, if it ever did.”