French Streamer Death Prompts Kick Platform Moderation Review

The tragic death of French streamer Jean Pormanove, whose real name was Raphaël Graven, has brought international attention to Kick, a livestreaming platform known for hosting provocative and uncensored content banned on mainstream services like YouTube and Twitch. Pormanove was reportedly subjected to severe physical abuse, sleep deprivation, and forced ingestion of harmful substances during a livestream viewed by over half a million people, prompting a judicial investigation in France. Kick, launched in 2022 by billionaires Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven—also founders of the crypto-backed casino Stake—has been criticized for lax content moderation, allowing violent, humiliating, and sometimes illegal acts to be broadcasted without intervention. Despite controversies including animal cruelty and harassment, the platform's user base continues to grow rapidly, attracted by its lower revenue cuts for streamers and permissive content policies. In response to the outcry, Kick has pledged to review its content moderation and cooperate with European regulators to comply with the Digital Services Act, though questions remain about its legal representation in the EU. French authorities and digital affairs ministers have demanded explanations as the platform faces increasing scrutiny over its role in enabling harmful livestream content.