I’d believe it. Apparently you can’t use any 3rd party service that might expose merely an IP address thru a network request directly from the client. A map widget would do that.
In which case the detail OP ommited would be that they did not in fact ask for consent
So while I won't join in the assumption that the story was a lie/exaggeration, I am equally interested in getting the full details because I'd like to know if it's the case that minor violations like that actually are being enforced.