There are lots of reasons you might prefer not to have every website you visit and email you send logged and recorded for years to come. I can’t think of any why you would. In many countries, however, internet providers are required by law to do just that.

According to the London Telegraph, from April 2009 that now includes all European Union countries. For the tech-minded, here are the gory details. You can be sure it is being done elsewhere, legally or otherwise. For a global overview with "heat map," you can check out last year’s "Electronic Police State" international rankings here. Surveillance is even more intense in large corporate or government environments, where you may also have trouble visiting certain "unapproved" sites.

At the other end of your internet connection, the same thing may be happening. Browsing and emailing, for example, usually discloses an "IP address" – the equivalent of your internet telephone number – which can be traced to you through your internet provider. Many sites, such as Google, also build up a profile of your activity based upon your IP address, "cookies" (data stored from earlier visits), search requests and other factors, which can be retained indefinitely. Forums and blogs will often record your IP address along with your comments and retain them for years.

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