This is incorrect. How ironic that I just bought my son a new i5S yesterday and its automatically on it. All we had to do was toggle the button to on. That's it. Maybe you're referring to older iPhones?
Here's a pic showing its already installed on the i5S:
My husband has the i5C & it's already installed on there too.
I also have geo tracking on all of our phones as a security precaution bc of everything I read on this site.
Also, my 17 y/o lost his phone in school last year. I called AT&T to let them know he lost his phone and to shut it off. They said there was recent usage on it so I told them don't shut it off & I'll report it to he police. I went to the station, they contacted AT&T & an Apple liason who turned on his geo tracking remotely. My son already had location services enabled. As it turned out, somebody from his gym class stole his phone and the police recovered it. We didn't press charges but did make it a matter of record - he got a warning.
I don't know what kind of phone Heather has but she seems to have something with net capability and def has location services set up on something bc she's checked in on some sm.