When Robert Smith was charged with selling cannabis on a pushbike in Melbourne's western suburbs, one of the first people to be told was a public relations specialist working for the police – who quickly told the world.

She typed up the charges, and included his name, suburb and age, before emailing the information to editors and journalists at every media outlet in the state.

A Victoria Police practice to identify suspects in media releases has raised concerns among lawyers and privacy advocates. Credit:Jason South

His name was also published on the Victoria Police news website and the press release shared on the force's popular Facebook page and Twitter feed, where it was read by tens of thousands of people.

The story was largely ignored by the media.