Manus said it will soon operate as an independent company again after Chinese regulators ordered Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of the AI startup. The company said some users will need to back up data generated on or after December 29, 2025, calling the step part of its separation from Meta to meet regulatory requirements in specific parts of the world. Meta announced the deal last December as part of a broader push to strengthen its AI business, with plans to use Manus' general purpose AI agents (systems designed to perform a wide range of tasks) in consumer and enterprise products. The transaction drew scrutiny in both Beijing and Washington, and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (state economic planner) told the companies in April to withdraw it. The reversal comes as Beijing tightens tech export controls on cross-border deals and as U.S.-China competition in AI expands across talent, hardware and data.