Essays / Internet Censorship (pros and cons) Ryerson Essay [2]

Hello , i'm working on an essay for Ryerson's Radio and Television program ...
this is the topic I chose :
While regulators debate net neutrality and governments consider policies and actions to curb social communication during civil unrest, discuss the pros and cons of government control of the Internet and the ramifications of a regulated Internet.

It's supposed to be 750-1000 words and it is a research based essay.
My question for you lovely people is ... am I allowed to include quotes to support my arguments? Or is that a bad idea since it's a short essay ?

My last question is how should I format it? The typical 5 paragraph essay will go over the word limit (especially if I use quotes)
Feedback is very much appreciated!