New York City’s 2026 mayoral inauguration for Zohran Mamdani has published a list of banned items for the event, explicitly prohibiting the Flipper Zero and Raspberry Pi devices.
Notably, Adafruit first reported the restriction, pointing out that the ban list appears in the inauguration’s official FAQ. That document clearly outlines which items attendees may or may not bring to the event.
In addition to the two named devices, organizers prohibit a wide range of items, including large bags, backpacks, and duffle bags. The list also bans weapons, fireworks or explosives, drones and other remote-controlled aerial devices, strollers, coolers, chairs, blankets, umbrellas, bicycles or scooters, alcoholic beverages, illegal substances, pets other than service animals, laser pens, and bats or batons.
What Are the Flipper Zero and Raspberry Pi?
The Flipper Zero functions as a handheld device designed for learning and testing wireless communication protocols such as RFID, NFC, infrared, Bluetooth, and radio signals. Security researchers, developers, and hobbyists commonly use it for protocol analysis and penetration testing.
Meanwhile, the Raspberry Pi serves as a low-cost, general-purpose single-board computer capable of running standard Linux distributions and a wide range of software. Manufacturers offer the device in multiple configurations, and users can expand it with add-on modules and peripherals, allowing it to perform many of the same tasks as a desktop or laptop computer.
Unlike most other prohibited items, which organizers group into broad categories, the FAQ explicitly names both the Flipper Zero and Raspberry Pi. Rather than restricting them under a general computing or wireless-device classification, the list singles them out individually.
Prior Scrutiny and Past Restrictions
Previously, devices like the Flipper Zero have drawn scrutiny from governments concerned about their potential use in car theft, network intrusions, and other forms of cybercrime. As a result, authorities have proposed restrictions or outright bans in some regions, and enforcement agencies have seized devices in isolated cases. However, officials have later rolled back several of those planned prohibitions.
Similarly, online retailers have restricted sales of the Flipper Zero in the past. Amazon, for example, banned listings for the device over concerns that bad actors could use it for card-skimming activities.
However, the decision to ban these devices from the event has generated confusion. Notably, the Prohibited-items list does not include laptops or mobile phones, even though those devices offer equal or greater technical capabilities.
“On the list of prohibited items published in advance, in addition to classic sources of danger such as firearms, drones, and glass bottles, two devices from the IT world are explicitly named: the Raspberry Pi and the Flipper Zero,” security professional Stefan Klatt posted on X.
“How do you say that you have no idea without saying it?”
Indeed, modern laptops can run Penetration-testing Linux distributions such as Kali Linux, while smartphones can operate advanced security Toolsets like Kali NetHunter.
No Official Explanation Yet
So far, event Organizers have not explained why they singled out the Flipper Zero and Raspberry Pi for Prohibition.
BleepingComputer has Contacted the Mamdani Campaign’s press office for comment and will update the story if a response is received.
Source: BleepingComputer, Lawrence Abrams
Read more at Impreza News
