<p>The metaverse has revolutionized the computing landscape, transformed numerous aspects of life and added glamorous nuances to various industries. However, its darker aspects are generally overlooked. This study addresses a critical issue: the prevalence of deviant behaviors in the virtual world. Our research investigates the role of technical factors, such as immersion and 3D design, and social factors, including online disinhibition, loneliness, social presence, and authenticity, in the online abuse of the metaverse. The purported conceptual model also examines the privacy implications of deviant behaviors. To provide insight to academics and practitioners into the dark sides of the metaverse, we employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to capture causal relationships and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify configurations of online abuse. The results of the linear relationships reveal that social and technical factors strongly influence online abuse in the metaverse, with users’ biometrics data risks driving the relationship between technical and social factors and user behaviour. The fsQCA results uncovered five solutions to address online abuse in the metaverse, primarily focusing on the role of technical aspects in designing safe and user-friendly platforms while providing social support and a sense of presence for users in the virtual world. The current study has serious implications for practitioners and developers to create immersive and user-friendly virtual world experiences. We recommend that practitioners and policymakers develop algorithms that prohibit profanity and block malicious users. This study is unique in that it investigates the relationship between the sociotechnical perspective and the dark sides of the metaverse using both symmetrical and asymmetrical analysis.</p>