French authorities are investigating the death of Raphaël Graven, an internet personality who died on Monday during a broadcast on the livestreaming platform Kick, where he was routinely subjected to humiliation and abuse.
The death of Mr. Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, revived a debate about the role governments should play in regulating parts of the internet where harassment and violence can go unchecked.
Clara Chappaz, a junior minister in France for artificial intelligence, on Wednesday described the violence that Mr. Graven endured as “horrific.” She said a probe into the actions of the other streamers toward Mr. Graven was underway.
“Justice will carry out its work to advance this investigation and to clarify the tragic circumstances of Jean Pormanove’s death,” she wrote. She added that platforms were legally required to remove illegal content and take action to protect users’ safety.
An autopsy took place on Thursday, French officials said. French police have interviewed the people present at the time of death and have seized equipment and videos from the address in Contes, a village north of Nice, where Mr. Graven was found dead, officials said.
Mr. Graven had more than 500,000 followers on Kick, an Australian streaming platform that launched in 2022.
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The post French Authorities Investigate Streamer’s Death After Months of Abuse appeared first on New York Times.
