FRANCE WILL SUE the Australian streaming platform Kick for “negligence” after a user died during a livestream, a government minister said today.

The platform has come under scrutiny in France after a 46-year-old Frenchman died earlier this month during a 12-day live streaming marathon on his channel, which specialised in him enduring abuse or humiliation dished out by other participants.

“Kick did not do everything possible to stop the broadcast of dangerous content,” digital affairs minister Clara Chappaz said, accusing the platform of breaking a 2004 law regulating online content.

A post-mortem found that the man – real name Raphael Graven, but known online as “Jean Pormanove” or “JP” – was not killed by trauma or by someone else.

In a statement following the death of Graven, Kick said they were “deeply saddened” by his passing.

“All co-streamers who participated in this live broadcast have been banned pending the ongoing investigation,” the platform said.

“We are committed to fully cooperating with the authorities in this process. Additionally, we have terminated our collaboration with the former French social media agency and are undertaking a comprehensive review of our French content.”

The platform also said that their “priority is to protect creators and ensure a safer environment on Kick”.

In a separate announcement today, French prosecutors said they had opened an investigation into the platform.

The probe opened yesterday will examine whether Kick “knowingly” broadcast “videos of deliberate attacks on personal integrity”, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.

Investigators will also probe whether the streaming platform is in compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act on content moderation.

Offenders risk up to 10 years in prison and a fine of €1m.