Sadimir Putin is one of many online images which has now been ruled illegal in Russia

Russian media and telecom regulator Roskomnadzor this week reminded citizens that it is ILLEGAL to publish memes which portray real people in a way that does not reflect their "personality".

The blanket ban rules out almost all images of Russian President Vladimir Putin – who is the subject of a number of popular reaction memes.

An online meme – derived from the Ancient Greek mimeme – is defined as any activity activity, catchphrase or media which spreads from person to person.

Richard Dawkins first coined the word meme in his book The Selfish Gene, published in 1976, in an attempt to explain the way cultural information is disseminated.