(CNN) -- In the crowded world of social media, with its virtual currency of likes and followers, some people will do anything for attention. Post a meme on Facebook. Create a parody account on Twitter. And in extreme cases, spread something shocking or offensive. In these tender days after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings, bad behavior on social media has some observers wondering: Should people be criminally liable for false or threatening information they post online? And could they be successfully prosecuted? Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance jump-started this discussion Sunday when he complained to reporters about people posting fake information on social media related to Friday's fatal shootings of 26 people, 20 of them young children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
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Connecticut police: Social media users have posted fake info about Newtown shootings
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New Twitter accounts seem created to piggyback on the notoriety of the alleged gunman
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Legal experts question whether authorities could successfully bring charges over online posts
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ACLU free-speech expert: "The police are there to protect our safety and not our feelings"
Police also would need cooperation from companies such as @placeholder and Twitter, which typically have been reluctant to reveal users' identities, she said.