French authorities are taking legal action against Kick after the death of streamer Jean Pormanove, with prosecutors warning that the Australian platform could face prison sentences and millions in fines.
On August 18, Jean Pormanove, real name Raphaël Graven, died while streaming on Kick at 46 years old. His death came after what has been described as “ten days of torture” while broadcasting with fellow streamers Naruto and Safine. Reports allege Pormanove endured beatings, sleep deprivation, and forced ingestion of toxic substances in the days and even months leading up to his death.
The case has sparked international outrage, with much of the focus on Kick’s failure to shut down broadcasts. Disturbing compilation threads showing the streamer being abused and mistreated have gone viral.
While the Stake-backed service has since banned the accounts of those involved, it has also come under fire for previously promoting Pormanove’s image in marketing posts, prompting the platform to cut ties with its French social media agency.
Now, France is seeking major consequences for executives at the streaming platform.
France to sue Kick and jail time isn’t off the table
France’s minister for digital affairs, Clara Chappaz, accused Kick of violating a 2004 law regulating online content, saying Pormanove had been “humiliated and mistreated for months live on Kick.”
The minister, who said she was making this “her fight” and would “not give up,” stressed that Kick should have pulled the plug on the streams.
“Kick did not do everything possible to stop the broadcast of dangerous content,” she said, further calling for the platform to face serious legal consequences.
On August 26, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that authorities had opened an investigation into whether Kick knowingly broadcast “videos of deliberate attacks on personal integrity.”
Jean Pormanove Prosecutors are also examining whether Kick complies with the EU’s new Digital Services Act on content moderation. According to The Guardian, violations could carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and €1 million in fines. It’s unclear if France will request the extradition of the site’s Australian-based executives.
Kick is also exposed to potential punishment in its home jurisdiction. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner noted that platforms are legally required to protect users from harmful or criminal material. Failure to enforce its own terms of service can result in fines of up to AUD $49.5 million.
French police, however, may hold some blame, too. In January 2025, Naruto and Safine were taken into custody on suspicion of producing live videos of the humiliation of vulnerable people and the dissemination of images that violate the integrity of persons, but were released on the same day as their arrest.
For now, Kick says it is cooperating fully with French investigators. But with lawsuits looming on both sides of the world, the platform faces a legal battle that could reshape how livestreaming services are held accountable for user safety.
