Information Society and its Characteristics: Theoretically-Legal Aspect

The fundamental characteristics of the information society from the theoretical and legal point of view are illustrated in this article. The performed analysis testified that the society of a new type is a complex multi-faceted phenomenon, which can not be perceived solely as a society of advanced technologies. It is pointed out the fact that the information society can develop only as a civil, social, democratic and legal society. Particular attention is paid to the problem of interrelation between the civil society and information one. In this context it was performed the analysis of the content of the civil society and its subject composition concept. It was proven that the boundaries of the civil society and the information one coincide, that is, the civil society must strive to information one, and information parameters should be applied to all components of the civil society. It was accented on the fact that the law-governed state fills the information society with the rule of law principle. The connection of the law-governed state concept and the information society is the following: they both are based and are aimed at ensuring, securing, protecting and actual realization of the inalienable rights and freedoms of the human and the citizen, as well as at the formation and development of legal awareness and legal culture. It was focused on the problems and challenges, which are generated by the information society ahead of the legal science. It was kept up to date the issue of the creating of the legal framework on the basis of thoroughly developed jurisprudence, which would regulate exactly the sphere of the legal regulation of the virtual space, in particular, the offenses in cyberspace: the spread of the listed below occurrences onto the Internet: extremist materials,
defamation, violation of the rules of trade, tax evasion, violation of copyright and related rights in the network, etc. It is noted that common features of the democratic state and the information society are the constant observance and protection of the human rights. The law-governed democratic state contributes into the information society the important factor of mutual responsibility of the individual and the state. The information society creates the conditions for developing of the new forms of political activity. Analysis of the relationship of the information society and the welfare state has shown that the common feature is the proclamation of the person of higher social value, which establishes the priority of the value of life and health, honor and dignity, integrity and security of the person. After the detailed study of the legal dimension of the information society concept it is possible to confirm that the information society orientation onto the interests of the people (a people-centred) is the through connecting link between its characteristics, such as: civil society, the law-governed, democratic, social state.