The proposals would greatly extend current surveillance powers and expand the volume of data that communications companies must keep on record.

Phone companies are already required to hold information for up to twelve months; in the future this information - as well as similar information collected form email and social networking sites - could be accessed in real time, and without a warrant.

I accessed my own data from my mobile phone company Vodafone, using data protection laws, to demonstrate what information is already stored and how this information already creates a revealing profile of the individual.