The death of French streamer Jean Pormanove during a multi-day broadcast on the Kick platform was a major information explosion and raised questions about the responsibility of online services. The tragedy showed that the lack of proper moderation can have fatal consequences.
Popular French streamer Kick, known for his extreme challenges, has died after violent and offensive “humiliating streams.”
Raphael Graven, 46, known by his stage name Jeanpormanov, was found dead in his home in Comte, France. The streamer died in his sleep while live streaming on Kick, a streaming platform similar to Twitch. Graven allegedly participated in “humiliation streams,” which are designed to humiliate and mock people for entertainment and to solicit donations through the platform.
These “humiliation streams” are typically aimed at vulnerable people and, according to Mediapart, aim to mock those with intellectual disabilities. According to La Monde, the late streamer was allegedly insulted during the 298-hour live stream.
Graven was apparently subjected to various forms of torture, from sleep deprivation to the consumption of toxic products. A video published in Le Parisien shows the apparent abuse Graven endured. The video shows Graven being beaten, having plasterboard and paint thrown at him, and other forms of humiliation inflicted.
Graven had an estimated 500,000 followers on Kick during his career and reportedly one million followers across all of his platforms. Days before his death, Graven recorded a video for his mother in which he said he felt held hostage and was tired of the humiliating streams, LADBible reported.
The Nice prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation to determine what really happened to Graven. Sarah El-Khairy, France’s high commissioner for children, said in a post on X, seen by the BBC, that “platforms have a huge responsibility to regulate online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content.”
Clara Chappaz, the minister responsible for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital affairs, also spoke out on behalf of X.
“The death of Jean Pormanov and the violence he suffered are absolute horror,” Chappaz said.
The minister for artificial intelligence and digital affairs went on to say that the streamer “was humiliated and abused for months while live on the Kick platform,” and confirmed that “a judicial investigation has been launched.”
Chappaz also said she had reported the situation to Arcom, the French digital watchdog, and had prepared a report on Pharos, a platform where users can report illegal online content.
Chappaz’s post, translated by Grok, echoed El-Khairy’s statement that “the responsibility of online platforms for the distribution of illegal content is not optional: it is the law.”
