New York City’s mayoral inauguration included an unusual security restriction: Raspberry Pi single-board computers and Flipper Zero devices were explicitly listed as prohibited items, alongside weapons, drones, and explosives. The rest of the list looks familiar for large public events, banning large bags, coolers, umbrellas, and bicycles, but the inclusion of hobbyist hardware stood out immediately to developers and makers.

Security teams appear to be treating general-purpose, programmable devices as inherently suspicious due to their flexibility rather than any specific threat. Critics point out that smartphones and laptops, which are far more powerful and network-capable, were not mentioned. The move raises questions about whether public-event security policies are starting to regulate tools instead of behavior, and where that line ultimately gets drawn.