PARIS: France’s broadcast regulator has confirmed it lacks the authority to block the online channel of a streamer who died during a live broadcast.
ARCOM agency chief Martin Ajdari stated that because the channel was hosted on Australian platform Kick, which has no French representation, “it does not come under the direct authority of ARCOM”.
Kick faces increased scrutiny following the August 18 death of a 46-year-old Frenchman during a 12-day marathon live streaming episode.
The streamer specialised in enduring abuse or humiliation from other participants during his broadcasts.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Raphael Graven, known online as “Jean Pormanove” or “JP”, was not killed by trauma or another person.
Public prosecutor Damien Martinelli stated that the cause of death was likely a medical issue, possibly combined with substances.
Graven may have suffered from heart problems and was undergoing medical treatment for his thyroid gland.
He had built a following of hundreds of thousands on Kick through his live streams.
“This tragedy obviously raises the question about the responsibility of the platform that broadcast the images,“ Ajdari said.
He clarified that only a judge, not ARCOM, could determine the legality of online content posted by individuals.
The agency can only impose EU laws “on those that have a presence in France”.
Ajdari noted that Graven’s previous abuse videos remained online for months without complaints, calling this “obviously incomprehensible”.
“That indicates that a new phase of digital regulation is now needed, so that we no longer let such a situation pass us by, collectively.” – AFP
