Software has close to zero cost and very low barrier of entry. Also it’s much harder to enforce, the police can’t really “raid” your computer (yet) the same way they could an illegal gun making workshop.
> yet
Key word.
The technical means for that sort of thing have also been demonstrated. The only thing holding us back from a highly effective digitally-enabled police state is political policy. Software piracy is presently easy on some platforms, but much more difficult on others. With the right political impetus, those controls could be extended to the presently free platforms. "Just buy an Android" doesn't work when the law requires Google to implement the same sort of controls as iOS. "Just buy a PC" stops working when the government permits or even compels Microsoft, Dell, etc to implement locked bootloaders like a Sony Playstation and only permit applications to run if they've been signed by an organization accountable to the law.