A major Chinese livestreaming account has been pulled after old punishment clips put fresh attention on a darker corner of the attention economy: creators turning fear, humiliation, and physical risk into content.
Night Paris, a livestreamer with more than 11 million followers, was banned after videos circulated on Chinese social media showing members of her team being pushed into dangerous on-camera stunts. The most widely shared footage showed streamers screaming while inside a fish tank that also contained a live crocodile. The crocodile’s mouth appeared to be bound, which is not exactly the safety protocol anyone wants to see relied on during a broadcast.
Other clips appeared to show streamers tied up with ropes and repeatedly submerged underwater.
The account was still huge hours before the ban
Red Star News reported that the crocodile tank videos came from livestream recordings made last year, and that the platform had already issued penalties at the time.
But the account was still active and enormous on April 23. That afternoon, it displayed:
- 11.134 million followers
- 190 million likes
According to reports, the account had been banned by around 6 PM the same day.
Criticism focused not only on the risk to the people in the clips, but also on the audience watching them. Many viewers in livestream rooms are minors, and critics warned that extreme punishment content could encourage copycat behavior with serious consequences.
Allegations now extend beyond the crocodile clips
The case widened after allegations emerged about how Night Paris entered the livestreaming business.
Yangcheng Evening News reported claims that she had been streaming since the age of 13 by using her grandmother’s ID card to sign with Guangzhou Jiahuo Media. The same agency is also accused of recruiting and training multiple underage streamers, with some allegedly as young as 14.
Several parents have filed complaints, alleging their children were manipulated into sending large financial gifts during broadcasts.
One father claimed: “My daughter awarded them 9,600 yuan (US$1,400) at a time.” He also warned that the broadcasts could inspire dangerous imitation.
In livestreaming, these virtual gifts are real money. Viewers buy digital items inside the platform and send them to streamers, who may then receive a cut through the platform or agency structure. That makes the age of both the streamers and the spending viewers a serious legal issue, not just a platform moderation headache.
Lawyer says possible penalties could be severe
Li Zhenwu, a lawyer at Shanghai Lizhen Law Firm, told Yangcheng Evening News that the agency and other involved parties could face several legal problems.
He cited possible breaches involving:
- China’s Minors Protection Law
- The alleged use of false identification
- Possible fraud connected to livestream gifts
Li said that if multiple offenses were proven, combined penalties could exceed 10 years in prison.
Authorities were reportedly unable to contact Jiahuo Media at its registered address. Reporters later found that the company’s office in Guangzhou’s Huangpu District had been abandoned.
Extreme livestreaming is a global problem
The Night Paris case has landed as part of a wider debate about how platforms handle dangerous broadcasts, especially when shock value drives engagement.
China is not the only country confronting this. In France, Kick streamer Jean Pormanove died during a broadcast described as “ten days and nights of torture.” Earlier in 2026, a Spanish streamer died live on camera after taking part in an extreme online challenge involving alcohol and drugs.
The common thread is not complicated: when platforms reward constant escalation, creators and their teams can be pushed toward content that no moderation policy should be meeting for the first time after it has already gone viral.
