Manus, the AI agent platform that went viral in early 2025 with a demonstration of a general-purpose AI assistant, is returning to independent operations after Chinese regulators forced the unwinding of Meta's $2 billion acquisition — and the transition is costing users their data.
Beginning at 8:00 a.m. Singapore time on August 23, Manus began deleting data created by certain users on or after December 29, 2025 — the date Meta completed its acquisition of the company. The deletion window runs through August 24, during which affected accounts will have no access to the platform. A restoration portal is scheduled to open on August 25.
The separation traces back to April 2026, when China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) blocked the Meta acquisition and ordered it unwound, citing violations of outbound investment rules and technology export controls. Chinese officials described the deal as an attempt to hollow out China's technology base. According to reports, Manus founders were temporarily barred from leaving the country.
In June 2026, Meta began the operational separation, cutting Manus off from its internal systems and ending data sharing. In early July, a consortium led by Tencent reportedly agreed to buy back Meta's stake at the original $2 billion price, with early investors HSG (formerly Sequoia China) and ZhenFund also involved.
Manus's blog post on August 11 framed the transition as a return to independence: "Manus will soon return to operating as an independent company." However, the ownership structure is now predominantly Chinese-investor-controlled, raising questions about the company's true independence. Manus says data will be stored in the United States and Singapore going forward.
The data deletion is being carried out to comply with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions. The company says it is not the result of any security incident. Affected users were notified by email and in-app alerts, with a backup window that opened on August 11.
The episode is being closely watched as a case study in how geopolitical tensions between the US and China are reshaping the AI industry — even when deals are struck by companies that have relocated to neutral jurisdictions like Singapore.
