I alerted him to what I'd found and that he should turn off the GPS. There are instructions somewhere how to do it, but I don't know if it disables what is stored in the phone's memory and if such stored information can be transferred to your computer.
The purpose might be benign, in part. You hear of people being lost and can make a call phone call with batteries going low. It takes time to track there location from a call, assuming there is a tower close enough to pick up the signal, and maybe the GPS coordinates make it easier. But like any good thing, bad things can often result from it.
People have been victimized by criminals taking advantage of the info in photos and other information I just posted on places like Facebook and Craig's list.
I usually save in a manner that will preserve my exif data, but if I had an iPhone, I would either turn it off or save it in a manner that strips off the exif. I think some photo hosting sites strip it off anyway like maybe Flickr.
That particular feature (GPS info for each photo) can be turned on and off, and isn’t as convoluted as the issue that started this thread. I can actually see a legitimate use for GPS locations for photos - especially for keeping up with either legal documentation, or for simply keeping up with pictures you have taken. But if you don’t want that data in other people’s hands, then removing it before sending is the best option.