Victoria's Post & Boast Law: Crimes Amendment Act 2025

POST & BOAST LAW

Crimes Amendment (Performance Crime) Act 2025

BSB40620 / BSBLEG314 – Assessment 2

Group Presentation | March 2026

WHAT IS

POST &

BOAST LAW?

The Crimes Amendment (Performance Crime) Act 2025 was passed by the Allan Labor Government in August 2025.

Targets criminals who publish content bragging about serious crimes on social media (TikTok, Snapchat)

Covers crimes like affray, burglary, robbery, car theft, carjacking, home invasions and violent disorder

2 years'

extra jail time on top of any other sentence

Third parties (witnesses, bystanders, journalists) are NOT captured by this offence.

The Legislation – How It Works

Crimes Amendment (Performance Crime) Act 2025 — Key Provisions

A person must NOT publish material depicting, describing or indicating commission of a relevant offence — with intention to attract attention.

Penalty: Level 7 — 2 years max

Material includes: anything done during the offence, property obtained, damage or harm caused.

Person is NOT liable unless found guilty of the relevant offence (in same or earlier proceeding).

Person CAN be charged before being found guilty of the underlying offence.

Source: content.legislation.vic.gov.au

Our Research Process

How We Conducted Our Research

Identified the Topic

Understanding the Post & Boast law scenario

Located Sources

Searched legislation databases (AustLII), news (ABC, 9News), academic journals (Sage, SSRN)

Evaluated Relevance

Checked each item related to social media crime, boasting, and sentencing

Catalogued & Referenced

Summarised findings and applied AGLC4 referencing

Court Cases

Government Website

Newspaper Articles

Journal Articles

Book

Research Findings

Cases & News Articles

Court Case

R v Stevens

Offender used Snapchat to advertise drug trafficking. Social media posts treated as 'Post & Boast' evidence — increased sentencing seriousness.

FAHRAN'S RESEARCH

Court Case

Chiropractic Board of Australia v Barham-Floreani (VCAT 2025)

Chiropractor posted COVID-19 criticism online. Tribunal found social media 'Post & Boast' behaviour inconsistent with professional standards.

FAHRAN'S RESEARCH

News Article

9 News – Teen Joyrider Sentenced

16-year-old filmed himself in stolen Audi Q5 at 150km/h, shared on Snapchat. One of first sentenced under Post & Boast laws — 2 years custody.

MELEK'S RESEARCH

Research Findings

Journal Articles & Book — KATE's Research

Journal Article

Social Media and Crime: Performance and Audiences

Yanis Sndyer, Criminology & Criminal Justice (2017)

Explores how social media acts as a 'digital confession' — desire for social validation overrides fear of legal consequences. Explains the psychology behind why individuals create evidence used against themselves.

Journal Article

Self-Incrimination in the Digital Age

Corn & VanLandingham, Southwestern Law Review (2019)

Analyses admissibility of social media evidence. Highlights how Post & Boast content is authenticated in court — traditional investigations replaced by self-incriminating digital footprints.

Book

Social Media and Law Enforcement

Christopher J Schneider (LexisNexis, 2020)

Framework for how police monitor hashtags and geotags to track boasting in real-time. Demonstrates how boasting turns a private act into a public record.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Standalone Offence

A specific criminal offence in Victoria, not just an aggravating factor.

Targets "Clout" Seeking

Aims to deter the dangerous social media trend on TikTok & Snapchat.

Up to 2 Years Extra

Maximum penalty is served ON TOP of the underlying original sentence.

Digital Self-Incrimination

Digital evidence is increasingly being weaponized in modern courts.

Interesting Findings

The 9 News teen joyride case highlights rapid enforcement after Royal Assent, sending a strong deterrence message.

Recent academic studies emphasize that the psychology of social performance is the core driver of Post & Boast acts.

Questions & Answers

We're ready to answer any questions you have!