Manus, a Singapore-headquartered AI agent startup founded in China, will return to operating as an independent company and delete some user data, months after Chinese regulators blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of the startup.

In a statement on Tuesday, Manus said data generated by certain users on or after December 29, 2025 will be deleted between 8:00 a.m. on August 23 and August 24, 2026, Singapore time. The move aims to comply with regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions.

The company said the step is part of its separation from Meta and is not the result of any security incident. Data created before the acquisition is not affected, Manus added.

Manus was founded in 2022 with roots in China and relocated its headquarters to Singapore in 2025. It provides an AI agent that performs automated tasks for users.

Meta completed its acquisition of Manus in December 2025, in a deal reported at roughly $2 billion.

In April 2026, China’s National Development and Reform Commission, through its foreign-investment security-review office, issued a decision prohibiting the acquisition and requiring the parties to withdraw the transaction.

Affected users can back up their data until 7:59 a.m. on August 23 and restore it from 8:00 a.m. on August 25, Singapore time, according to Manus.

Manus said it would notify affected users through its app and by email, though those who registered with an Apple ID or Facebook account would be notified only in the app. The company said it would not charge affected users during the backup period, from August 11 to August 23, and would provide unspecified bonuses after they restore their data.

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