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Manus to resume independent operations after China blocks Meta acquisition
AI startup Manus has announced it will return to independent operations following the collapse of its $2 billion acquisition by Meta Platforms. The unwinding of the deal follows an April order from China's National Development and Reform Commission, which investigated whether the transaction breached foreign investment rules.
As part of the separation process and to comply with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions, Manus will delete certain user data generated since the acquisition was completed on December 29, 2025. The company stated that this deletion is a necessary step for the separation and is not due to any security breach or cyber incident. Affected users have been notified via the app and email, with a window to back up their data before the deletion occurs between August 23 and August 24, 2026. Users can restore backed-up material starting August 25.
The case highlights increasing scrutiny from Beijing regarding outbound and inbound tech investments, particularly concerning the phenomenon of 'Singapore-washing,' where Chinese firms relocate to Singapore to navigate regulations. Reports suggest that Tencent Holdings may be in discussions to become a major shareholder in Manus as the company seeks to re-establish itself independently.
Entities
China · Manus · Meta · Meta Platforms · Singapore · Tencent Holdings · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Affected users can back up their data before August 23 and restore it starting August 25. www.dimsumdaily.hk · weekly.ascii.jp · gigazine.net
- [● 8 SOURCES] Manus will delete user data generated from December 29, 2025, to comply with regulatory requirements. www.dimsumdaily.hk · losangelesweeklytimes.com · technews.tw · www.spacemoney.com.br · startups.com.br · +3 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Manus will soon resume operating as an independent company. www.dimsumdaily.hk · losangelesweeklytimes.com · 1001infos.net · technews.tw · www.spacemoney.com.br · +5 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] The data deletion is a separation step and not caused by a security breach or cyber incident. www.dimsumdaily.hk · startups.com.br
- [● 8 SOURCES] Meta acquired Manus for approximately $2 billion on December 29, 2025. www.dimsumdaily.hk · losangelesweeklytimes.com · 1001infos.net · technews.tw · www.spacemoney.com.br · +3 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Tencent Holdings has been in talks to potentially become the largest shareholder of Manus. www.dimsumdaily.hk · 1001infos.net · technews.tw
- [● 4 SOURCES] The data deletion process is scheduled to occur between August 23 and August 24, 2026. www.dimsumdaily.hk · startups.com.br · weekly.ascii.jp · gigazine.net
- [● 8 SOURCES] China's National Development and Reform Commission ordered Meta to unwind its acquisition of Manus in April. www.dimsumdaily.hk · losangelesweeklytimes.com · 1001infos.net · technews.tw · www.spacemoney.com.br · +3 more