A French streamer’s on-air death has triggered a national reckoning over unregulated livestreaming platforms accused of enabling systemic abuse for profit.
At a Glance
- Raphaël Graven, known as Jean Pormanove, died on August 18, 2025 during a 10-day livestream on Kick
- Months of documented humiliation and violent stunts preceded his death
- French prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into the platform’s role
- Kick banned co-streamers and pledged content policy review after public outrage
Death in Real Time
Raphaël Graven, a 46-year-old French streamer who went by the alias Jean Pormanove, collapsed during a 10-day marathon livestream on Kick, a platform founded in 2022 and marketed as a less restrictive alternative to Twitch. He was discovered unresponsive in a rented apartment in Contes, near Nice, while broadcasting to thousands of live viewers.
Three fellow streamers—Owen Cenazandotti, Safine Hamadi, and “Coudoux”—were present when they found him dead, leading to an abrupt termination of the broadcast.
Authorities confirmed that an autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.
While foul play has not been officially suspected, prosecutors are investigating the platform’s role in enabling content that normalized escalating abuse and humiliation for entertainment.
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A Pattern of Abuse
For months, Graven had participated in extreme challenge streams that featured sustained harassment, staged violence, and humiliating tasks at the hands of collaborators. These broadcasts attracted large audiences and significant donations, incentivizing further escalation. Kick’s permissive moderation environment allowed the cycle to continue unchecked, raising questions about the company’s prioritization of growth and profit over user safety.
Observers note that such content is not isolated to one community but reflects a broader trend in online platforms that monetize sensational or exploitative material. By offering creators higher revenue shares and looser restrictions compared to competitors, Kick positioned itself as a disruptive force in streaming—but at the cost of enabling hazardous behavior.
Government Steps In
French Digital Affairs Minister Clara Chappaz called the incident “absolute horror” and referred the case to both Arcom, the national media regulator, and PHAROS, the cybercrime reporting platform. High Commissioner for Children Sarah El Haïry warned that minors could be exposed to disturbing content and pressed for stronger oversight of livestreaming services.
Prosecutors announced a formal judicial investigation, signaling a more aggressive enforcement stance. French law already obligates platforms to remove illegal or harmful content, but officials have long struggled with inconsistent compliance. The death of a public figure on-air has now placed unprecedented pressure on regulators to act decisively.
Kick Under Scrutiny
Kick responded by banning all co-streamers who appeared alongside Graven and pledged a review of its French-language moderation practices. However, critics argue that such measures are reactive rather than preventative, and unlikely to address structural issues within the platform’s business model.
The case could carry wider consequences across Europe, where regulators are already debating stricter digital safety standards under the EU’s Digital Services Act. If France pushes for sanctions, Kick may be forced to implement systemic reforms or face broader restrictions on its operations within the bloc.
Industry experts suggest that the tragedy highlights an urgent need for global frameworks to hold platforms accountable for content that endangers participants while rewarding exploitative practices. Whether Kick and similar services can adapt without losing their market identity remains an open question.
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