The Liberal Party’s controversial data retention laws have passed through the lower house after striking a deal with the Opposition.

If the bill also passes the Senate, which seems likely, it will force telcos to store customer metadata (such as time, date and duration of calls, phone numbers and IP addresses) for two years.

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Media companies fought for and won greater protections for journalists, but police and spy agencies will be able to request the metadata of most Australians without a warrant.

Accessing to a journalist’s metadata will require a warrant, but an advocate appointed by the prime minister can recommend that the warrant be blocked if it not deemed to be in the public interest.

Labor MPs expressed concerns about privacy during the debate, but the vote was passed nevertheless.