​Madrid: Spain's ruling Popular Party has presented a proposal to the nation's Congress that could result in a ban on the way social network users gain comic revenge on politicians.

The reform aims to curb the "spreading of images that infringe the honour of a person" and says Spain's 1982 law covering this area is outdated due to the internet.

Subject of many memes: Mariano Rajoy, Spain's Prime Minister. Credit:Bloomberg

Campaigners for free speech see the proposal as an attack against the sometimes irreverent humour and political expression in "memes" - images altered digitally - many of which have poked fun at Mariano Rajoy, the Popular Party (PP) leader and conservative prime minister.