A 46-year-old streamer from southern France, known online as Jean Pormanove, died during an extended live stream on the platform Kick this week. Before his death, he was allegedly physically and verbally assaulted by co-streamers, with viewers watching in real-time.
The incidents, which were broadcasted on Kick, showed Graven being hit, insulted, strangled, and shot at with a paintball gun. His channel has since been removed, and the co-streamers involved have been banned while Kick investigates.
An autopsy has been ordered, and a police investigation is underway to determine the cause of death. Kick’s founder Ed Craven stated that Graven had cardiovascular problems, but an autopsy report has not been released yet.
Kick, a live streaming platform similar to Twitch, was founded in Melbourne by billionaires Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani. The company prides itself on its lighter approach to content moderation but has guidelines that prohibit “abhorrent violence” and self-harm.
The incident raises concerns about Kick’s handling of violent content. A spokesperson for the platform said it is cooperating with the investigation and will review its community guidelines. France’s junior minister for AI and digital technology, Clara Chappaz, described the death as “horrific” and called for a judicial investigation.
Kick may face repercussions, including possible fines from Australia’s eSafety commissioner, which enforces industry codes requiring companies to safeguard users from violent content. The incident also highlights the need for platforms to enforce their terms of use more effectively.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/21/kick-livestream-platform-france-death-australia-esafety-ntwnfb