Your views on privacy and the impacts of government surveillance could win you $5,000

Are you an undergrad or high-school student in the U.S. or UK? Your views on government surveillance could win you $5000 through a scholarship from our friends at ExpressVPN.

Are you a high school, undergraduate or graduate student living in the U.S. or UK? Are you concerned about the impacts of government surveillance on art, culture, innovation, scientific research, and freedom of expression? Well, thanks to our friends at ExpressVPN, you could be in with a chance to win $5,000.

The VPN provider is relaunching its Future of Privacy Scholarshipfor 2017. This is the second year the scholarship has been in existence — last year’s campaign was a big success, with nearly 1000 applicants and over 50 partnering universities listing the scholarship.

This year, ExpressVPN is increasing the award to $5,000, and making it more accessible by expanding eligibility to students in the UK — this year’s program is open to anyone of any age enrolled in a high school, undergraduate school, or a graduate school located in the United States or United Kingdom, and there is no need to be a U.S. or British citizen in order to apply.

To enter, submit a short 300-400 word essay to [email protected] exploring the prompt below by August 31 (no later than midnight Pacific Time).

It’s 2027 and government surveillance on citizens’ internet activities is legal, in force, and widespread. Governments worldwide are watching everything you’re doing. What happens to art, culture, innovation, scientific research, freedom of expression, etc.?

The winner of the 2017 Scholarship will receive a $5,000 cash prize. ExpressVPN will also select five runner-ups to be rewarded each with a 12-month VPN subscription.

The winning essay shall be determined using the following criteria:

• Level of creativity, originality, and detail of the submission

• Student’s ability to formulate an opinion

• Clear and articulate writing

There are a few other rules and stipulations you should be aware of — so we recommend carefully reading over the information on ExpressVPN’s website before entering.

With threats to our online privacy multiplying across the world, there’s never been a better time for you to make your voice heard, and contribute to the debate over privacy. By making clear the impacts that pervasive surveillance has on so many aspects of our everyday lives, this is a great opportunity for you to play an important role in this debate.

At OpenMedia we’re really looking forward to reading what the competition winners have to say, and to sharing your thoughts with our community. Good luck with your entry!

Please note that OpenMedia is not affiliated with this scholarship program (although we’re delighted to help spread the word about it) — so any enquiries about the program itself should be directed to the organizers at ExpressVPN— you can reach them at [email protected]