France Probes Live-Streamed Death of Abused Online Streamer

French prosecutors have launched an investigation into the death of Raphael Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, who died during a live stream on the Kick platform where he was subjected to violence and humiliation. The 46-year-old man was found dead at his home in Contes, near Nice, after streaming for over a week while enduring physical abuse and extreme challenges in front of thousands of viewers. Authorities have ordered an autopsy and are exploring whether the violence was genuine or staged, with one co-streamer's lawyer claiming the scenes followed a script and that Graven had cardiovascular problems. Clara Chappaz, France's junior minister for AI and digital technology, condemned the abuse as horrific and emphasized that online platforms are legally responsible for illegal content, referring the case to the digital regulator Arcom and the government's illicit content reporting portal. Kick, the Australia-registered streaming service, stated it is cooperating with the investigation and has banned all co-streamers involved. The case has sparked a broader debate in France about the responsibility of live streaming platforms in moderating violent content and protecting vulnerable individuals.