The article analyzes the dichotomy of the choice of a modern person in the context, on the one hand, of the wide opportunities provided by information technology, and on the other hand, of the threats associated with invading privacy and committing crimes. Digitalization technology allows improving the quality of public administration, establishing more effective control of public authorities by the society, and enhances the ability to control citizens and manipulate the mass consciousness. The reaction of society to the choice of priorities between rights and freedoms and security depends on the political and cultural perception of political reality, which was formed with the direct participation of power structures and shared by most of the population. The choice is influenced by the mental characteristics of society, the political activity of society, the stability of traditional ideological attitudes, supported by official discourses. As a result, the choice of the direction of the information development