Rapper PNB Rock's murder sparks conversations about sharing locations on social media
HOUSTON - People across the nation and in Houston are reacting after a popular rapper was shot and killed during a robbery in Los Angeles.
The robbery and shooting happened Monday afternoon minutes after the rapper's girlfriend tagged their location on Instagram.
Right now, it's not known if that Instagram post is what lead the suspect to his location, but it's still sparking an important conversation. Many online users are saying this is a stark reminder to be careful when using location settings on social media apps.
Travis Costello, the owner of Costello Safety Consulting in Houston, weighed in.
"They track your social media; they see you post pictures of you showing money or fancy jewelry, all the time. Well, you just showed them what you have in your pockets, you told them exactly where you're going to be, and through things like selfies, you've told them who you are with," Costello said.
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He advises, whether you're a celebrity or just an everyday person, you should exercise extreme caution when pinning where you are or when allowing apps to openly share your location.
"Snapchat for example, it has a great feature that a lot of people like, and it shows your location to your friends. However, it can also show your location to people who aren't your friends," Costello warned.
He says there's a couple of things everyone should do to keep themselves social but safe. One is to check your location settings on every app and turn off or adjust what you don't want people to see, and wait to post things until you leave an establishment.
"If you share something after you leave that area, then you've just instantly improved your chances of not having anything bad done to you," he said.