Nhandeflix: Guarani platform fights digital colonization in Brazil

In 2021, satellite internet reached the Tenondé Porã Indigenous Land near São Paulo, causing younger Guarani members to disengage from communal activities and spend time on TikTok, Free Fire, and pornography. Elders initially disconnected the internet, but youths sought WiFi elsewhere. Intervozes and Coolab then implemented partial blocks using Pi-hole software, blocking pornography and betting sites, and restricting YouTube and TikTok at night. Youths bypassed blocks with VPNs. In 2022, the inter-town committee launched Nhandeflix, a local intranet platform using Jellyfin to host Guarani cultural content like films, documentaries, and podcasts. It is accessible only locally via mini-computers with memory cards. Content includes works like "Roda Cutia" and "Bicicletas de Nhanderú." Challenges include families opting for fiber-optic internet and clunky storage upgrades. The committee plans to build a community data center. Jerá Guaraní and Lucas Kesse advocate for "technologies of sufficiency" to maintain Guarani way of life.