Manus on Tuesday announced it will shortly resume operations as an independent entity while it carries out the process of reversing its acquisition by Meta Platforms that was halted by Chinese authorities.
In a message sent to users, the China-founded artificial intelligence firm said some customer accounts could be affected during the transition. Manus specified that data created by particular users on or after December 29, 2025 will be deleted from 8:00 a.m. on August 23 through August 24, 2026 (Singapore Time) to comply with regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions.
The company provided a narrow timeframe for affected customers to secure their information. Users whose data falls under the deletion window will be able to back up their data until 7:59 a.m. on August 23, 2026 (SGT). Manus said those customers may then restore backed-up data beginning at 8:00 a.m. on August 25, 2026 (SGT).
Manus said it will notify impacted users directly through the Manus mobile application and by email. The company also noted it will not charge affected users during the data backup period running from August 11 through August 23, 2026 (SGT).
The regulatory intervention that forced the transaction reversal occurred in April, when Chinese authorities moved to block Meta’s planned $2 billion purchase of Manus. The startup was founded in China and relocated to Singapore in 2025. Beijing ordered the deal cancelled amid concerns voiced by officials that the transfer risked moving valuable technology to a geopolitical rival.
Manus emphasized that users who are not affected by the data deletion process can continue using the service without interruption throughout the transition. The company also confirmed that it stores data in the United States and Singapore.
The company did not provide additional operational details beyond the schedule for data deletion, backup and restoration and the notification approach to affected customers. The notice focuses on ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions referenced and on minimizing disruption for unaffected users.
Timeline and user actions
- Data to be deleted for specified users: 8:00 a.m. on August 23 through August 24, 2026 (SGT).
- Backup window for affected users: up to 7:59 a.m. on August 23, 2026 (SGT).
- Data restoration available from 8:00 a.m. on August 25, 2026 (SGT).
- No charges for affected users during backup period: August 11-23, 2026 (SGT).