French streamer dies during 12-day Kick livestream, triggers inquiry

A prominent French streamer known for extreme online challenges died during a long-running livestream on the platform Kick, triggering a criminal inquiry and prompting renewed scrutiny of how digital platforms police dangerous or humiliating content. Prosecutors said the 46-year-old, Raphaël Graven, who performed online under the name Jean Pormanove, was found dead at a residence near Nice after a broadcast that had stretched for more than 12 days. An autopsy determined the death was not the result of trauma or foul play, and investigators have ordered further medical and toxicological analyses to identify the probable cause.

Graven’s death comes amid an ongoing French inquiry into the broader practice of “humiliation” streams on Kick, which has allowed certain content with looser moderation. An earlier investigation, prompted by an investigative report, looked into videos in which vulnerable participants appeared to be mistreated for money or subscriptions. Two co-streamers involved in such content were briefly detained in January but released as investigators gathered material. The latest case has intensified calls for accountability from lawmakers and regulators regarding...