Manus Resumes Independence After China Unwinds Meta’s $2 Billion Acquisition

Manus is again operating independently after Chinese regulators forced Meta to unwind its proposed $2 billion acquisition. The split now has a concrete customer effect: some users must preserve data generated since Meta announced the deal in December.

Manus said the backup requirement applies to some users’ data generated on or after December 29, 2025. It described the step as part of its separation from Meta and compliance with regulatory requirements in certain parts of the world. The company has not identified the affected users or specified which data must be backed up.

An acquisition attempt becomes an operational split

Meta announced the proposed purchase on December 29, 2025. Manus was founded in China in 2022 and later moved its headquarters to Singapore. Chinese authorities examined whether the transaction complied with rules on foreign investment and technology transfers.

In April, China’s National Development and Reform Commission ordered the parties to withdraw the transaction and said it was prohibiting Manus’s foreign acquisition. The agency did not give a detailed public rationale. Meta said the transaction complied fully with applicable law.

A separate security regulation approaches

China’s new exit-and-entry administration regulation is scheduled to begin September 15. The government says it is meant to standardize border administration, protect the lawful rights of people entering and leaving the country, and safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

What the published regulation covers

• Requirements for exit-and-entry document applications and refined restrictive measures.
• Rules for intermediary services related to exit and entry.
• Overseas safety alerts and travel cautions for citizens traveling to high-risk countries or regions.

Nikkei Asia characterized the broader tightening as an effort to prevent leaks of data, AI and other advanced technologies. It also said Meta’s attempted Manus acquisition was thought to have helped spur the regulation, rather than presenting that connection as the government’s official explanation.

Two distinct government actions

The regulation sets rules for exit-and-entry administration. The Manus decision was an NDRC order halting a foreign acquisition after scrutiny of investment and technology-transfer compliance. For Manus, the immediate unresolved issue is the scope of the user-data backup requirement during its separation from Meta.