General AI agent Manus resumes independent operation after Meta split

On August 11, the general AI agent platform Manus published "A Letter to Manus Users" formally announcing that it will resume operation as an independent company and continue serving millions of users worldwide.

As part of the Meta split and to comply with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions, data for some users generated on or after December 29, 2025 — the date Meta acquired Manus — will be deleted between 08:00 SGT on August 23, 2026 and August 24, 2026. To comply, Manus has officially launched the data backup and restoration process.

Affected users can back up data from now until 07:59 SGT on August 23, 2026 and restore it from 08:00 SGT on August 25, 2026. Manus emphasized the data deletion is not caused by any data breach or security incident but is a measure taken to split from Meta, resume independent operation, and meet regulatory requirements. After becoming independent, user data will continue to be stored in data centers in the United States and Singapore.

Manus is a general-purpose AI agent product launched in March 2025. It quickly went viral for being able to complete complex tasks with a single command, with internal beta codes once reselling for 100,000 RMB. About eight months after launch, annualized recurring revenue exceeded $100 million and the user base reached millions. On December 29, 2025, Meta announced the acquisition of Manus for more than $2 billion (around 14 billion RMB), making it Meta's third-largest acquisition ever.

The acquisition drew Chinese regulatory scrutiny. On April 27, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce formally launched an assessment investigation. After the backup window closes, affected accounts will be temporarily locked for about two days; Manus will pause subscription charges for affected users during backup and issue return rewards after data restoration.