Hacked data—data obtained in an unauthorized manner through illicit access to a computer or computer network—are increasingly being used in scientific research. Examples include conflict modelling studies based on WikiLeaks datasets, and studies on sexual behaviour based on data leaked from Ashley Madison, a dating website hacked in 2015. Studies of this kind are prima facie lawful because the researchers who processed the data had no involvement in the data breach itself, and the hacked datasets were made publicly available. However, research integrity is not simply reducible to lawfulness. We contend that the ethical acceptability of using datasets of illicit origin cannot simply be presumed, but requires ethical justification. Therefore, the scientific community is urged to address a fundamental ethical question: whether, and under which conditions, conducting research using hacked data can be considered morally justifiable behaviour. This contribution will discuss and critically evaluate the ethical boundaries of research involving hacked data. This emerging ethical dilemma will be examined by analogy with previous debates on the ethics of research using data of unethical origin, such as research with data from Nazi medical experiments. Furthermore, we discuss the compatibility of research involving hacked data with current research ethics instruments such as the Belmont Report and the Oviedo Convention. We posit that research using hacked data should be deemed ethically problematic. However, exceptions may be acknowledged, depending on how the data are processed and the overall value of the study to society. To this end, we propose six ethical and procedural requirements for conducting research with hacked data in an ethically responsible manner.

黑客数据——通过非法访问计算机或计算机网络以未经授权的方式获得的数据——越来越多地用于科学研究。例子包括基于 WikiLeaks 数据集的冲突建模研究，以及基于 2015 年被黑客入侵的约会网站 Ashley Madison 泄露的数据的性行为研究。此类研究表面上是合法的，因为处理数据的研究人员没有参与数据泄露本身，并且被黑客入侵的数据集已公开可用。然而，科研诚信并不能简单地归结为合法性。我们认为，不能简单地假设使用非法来源数据集的道德可接受性，但需要道德理由。因此，敦促科学界解决一个基本的伦理问题：是否，以及在何种情况下，使用黑客数据进行研究可以被视为道德上合理的行为。这篇文章将讨论和批判性地评估涉及黑客数据的研究的道德界限。这种新出现的伦理困境将通过与之前关于使用不道德来源数据的研究伦理的类比来检验，例如使用纳粹医学实验数据的研究。此外，我们讨论了涉及黑客数据的研究与当前的研究伦理工具（如贝尔蒙特报告和奥维耶多公约）的兼容性。我们认为使用被黑数据的研究应该被视为道德问题。但是，可能会承认例外情况，具体取决于数据的处理方式和研究对社会的整体价值。为此，