About 2500 officials across the country will be able to sign off on access to Australians' phone and internet records under the Abbott government's new "metadata" laws passed last week.

A detailed analysis by Fairfax Media has found the great majority of people empowered to approve requests for so-called communications metadata are police officers.

Insists legislation contained "strengthened safeguards": Senator George Brandis. Credit:Andrew Meares

Such data can be accessed from telco firms without a warrant, however the application has to be approved by a senior officer or official.

NSW Police leads the way with more than 900 senior officers able to sign off on junior colleagues' requests to get data. Victoria Police have more than 400 officers who meet the threshold of seniority to approve the requests and Queensland Police more than 300.