Security shouldn’t be searching every single item on a player without a proportional level of suspicion to justify that level of search. A truly random search should be relatively quick, with the amount of time that a search can take while still being reasonable increasing the more evidence there is casting suspicion on the searched player.
PDAs
There are no special restrictions on PDA searches. Even during a random search, security may check PDA notes or settings, look for unlocked uplinks, and try to unlock uplinks.
Headsets
If security has a reasonable IC suspicion that people are using channels they aren’t authorized to, for example, because headset keys have been stolen, headsets can be checked as part of a search. Security is free to search headsets more thoroughly if someone is arrested, but should not delay their release or extend their brig time to enable excessive searching.
The clarification was updated to add the following paragraph:
Looking through programs like notes, and settings on a PDA is acceptable, but it is a more thorough search than should typically be performed randomly. Security would be expected to have more of a reason to perform this type of search than something like a simple bag check.
The clarification has been rewritten to remove all special restrictions from PDA searches. The prior version of the clarification is quoted below for record keeping, but the quoted version is no longer in effect.
Quote
PDAs
There is currently no reason for security to use the ringtone feature other than to attempt to unlock an uplink. In attempting to unlock an uplink with the PDA ringtone, security is acting as if they believe syndicate agents are on the station as crewmembers, uplinks exist, and uplinks are unlocked with PDA ringtones. If security can provide an IC reason for these beliefs based on information learned in the round, then they can perform “non-standard” or unusual checks like checking PDA ringtones. An example of when this would be acceptable is if someone claimed they got items from their PDA. “Standard” checks, such as checking if someone’s ID matches their name, can always be performed as part of a legal search.
Looking through programs like notes, and settings on a PDA is acceptable, but it is a more thorough search than should typically be performed randomly. Security would be expected to have more of a reason to perform this type of search than something like a simple bag check.
Headsets
The same principals apply to headsets. If security has a reasonable IC suspicion that people are using channels they aren’t authorized to, for example, because headset keys have been stolen, headsets can be checked as part of a search. Security shouldn’t be searching every single item on a player without a proportional level of suspicion to justify that level of search. Security is free to search headsets more thoroughly if someone is arrested, but should not delay their release or extend their brig time to enable excessive searching.
Limitations
SS14 is under development and this question is in relation to a relatively new feature. This answer is being given at a time where PDA ringtones serve no purpose other than to unlock an uplink, so an update may be needed should that change.