The EU Copyright Directive, specifically Article 13 (later renamed Article 17), became a viral sensation in 2018 and 2019 due to fears that its 'upload filter' requirements would effectively ban memes across Europe. Internet activists and creators worldwide adopted the topic to criticize copyright overreach, depicting the European Union as a meme-destroying antagonist. The 'meme ban' narrative sparked a wave of satirical content where users would purposely pixelate images or use stick figures to bypass hypothetical filters. Even after the directive passed, it remains a symbol of digital censorship and the ongoing battle between copyright law and internet freedom.