A French court has rejected a request to block Kick nationwide following the death of streamer Jean Pormanove, ruling that such a move would be disproportionate.
Raphaël Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, died on August 18 at the age of 46 while livestreaming on Kick. French media described the days leading up to his death as “ten days of torture,” involving fellow creators Owen ‘Naruto’ Cenazendotti and Safine Hamadi.
The ongoing investigation has examined allegations including physical abuse, forced ingestion of substances, and extreme sleep deprivation. No charges have been filed, and an autopsy concluded that Pormanove’s death was not directly caused by another person’s intervention. Both streamers have maintained that the content was consensual and staged.
Pormanove’s mother has also publicly defended them, saying they were “great people” who “never mistreated him except once in the gym.”
Despite this, France’s Minister for Digital Affairs and AI, Clara Chappaz, condemned the streams as “humiliation” and “mistreatment” and pushed for action against Kick.
French court rules against nationwide Kick ban as site owners remain under investigation
At a civil hearing on November 26, the French state argued that Kick was attempting to create a “no-go zone” online. Prosecutors requested the removal of all channels linked to Jean Pormanove and asked internet service providers to block access to Kick in France for six months.
According to Le Figaro, the request relied on Article 6-3 of France’s Law for Trust in the Digital Economy, which allows courts to rapidly intervene to stop harmful online content. However, prosecutors also acknowledged that a full site ban could be considered disproportionate, favoring targeted channel removals instead.
The court ultimately rejected the request to block Kick.
Kick and its executives remain under criminal investigation by Paris and Nice prosecutors. Under Article 323-3-2 of the Criminal Code, they could face up to seven years in prison and €500,000 in fines if charges are eventually brought.
Separately, French authorities are also investigating Pormanove’s former streaming group Lokal after it resurfaced on Twitch under the name OGK Decoy. The channel, hosted by Gwen Cenazendotti, the brother of Owen ‘Naruto’ Cenazendotti, is accused of evading moderation and continuing staged violence and humiliation involving new creators.
