France is to sue live streaming platform Kick over the death of a streamer after a 12-day mens trim challenge. Raphaël Graven (46), who used the pseudonym Jean Pormanove, died on August 18 after 280 hours of live streaming. During the stream, he was abused by other participants, including being slapped, sprayed with water and not allowed to sleep in order to increase viewership.
Australian-based Kick is being sued because Graven is a French citizen. The lawsuit claims Kick failed to control the content it posted, allowing the abuse to continue for more than 11 days. At the same time, Kick will also be investigated in Australia, where they face fines of up to AUD $45 million if found negligent in causing death.
In the incident on August 18, Graven was seen unconscious during a stream by a viewer. When a viewer told other streamers about the situation, he was slapped and doused with water, thinking he was just sleeping. Only after realizing that it was a serious situation, the stream was immediately stopped before the announcement of his death was made a few hours later.
The phenomenon of non-stop streaming of daily life has become a phenomenon after the pandemic. Channel owners will do various gimmicks to receive gifts from viewers. Many will do whatever viewers tell them to do in exchange for donations. This includes engaging in activities that disrupt public order, pranks and breaking the law.
Johnny Somali and Vitaly are examples of two non-stop streamers who are currently in prison for breaking the law in South Korea and the Philippines simply to get views.