Digital Trends – Apparently the red Droid eye on Verizon phones is more than an homage to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. If youâre a Verizon subscriber, the high data speeds and reliable network now come with a new cost: privacy. The carrier has begun pushing out smartphone updates that cripple the ability for any of its devices to be used as a free mobile hotspot. HTC ThunderBolt owners have already experienced this, as that phoneâs Hotspot abilities were remotely removed in a recent patch. However, worse than the flip of a switch, we now know that Verizon has the ability to remove apps from any userâs Android phone and is using that ability to remotely wipe any free Internet tethering apps from phones, according to DSL Reports.