PARIS, Aug 20: Raphaël Grave, known online as Jean Pormanove or JP, died on Monday, Aug. 18, during a livestream on the Australian-based streaming platform Kick in Contes, north of Nice. The 27-year-old had reportedly endured years of harassment, violence, and humiliation while broadcasting on the platform, authorities said.

The Nice prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the cause of death, which has also brought attention to Kick, a platform known for its lenient moderation policies.

Kick, launched in 2022 by co-founders Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, operates similarly to Twitch, allowing viewers to subscribe to channels for a fee. In August, Kick reported a monthly audience of 817,000, less than a third of Twitch’s 2.1 million monthly viewers, according to StreamCharts.

The platform stands out for its revenue model, taking only 5% of subscriptions compared with Twitch’s 30-50% cut. Kick also permits gambling content, sexually suggestive material, and violent or humiliating streams that are typically restricted on other platforms.

While not all content is allowed, Kick has cultivated an “edgier” reputation, attracting influencers banned elsewhere, including American streamer Amouranth and pro-Trump influencer Adin Ross. Ross, known for provocative content, has hosted controversial figures such as white supremacist Nick Fuentes and men’s rights influencer Andrew Tate, with some of his streams promoted directly by Kick.

Kick is linked to the online gambling platform Stake, co-founded by Tehrani and Craven. Stake is blocked in France and several European countries, and recently left the UK market after regulatory scrutiny over a controversial advertising campaign. The platform also faces legal challenges in multiple U.S. states over alleged gambling violations.

The death of Grave has intensified debate over the platform’s permissive policies and safety measures for streamers.