On August 11th, Chinese artificial intelligence company Manus released a “Letter to Users” on its official website, officially announcing that it will resume operations as a separate company and continue to provide services to millions of users worldwide.
Manus states that, as part of the restoration of independent operations, in order to “fulfill regulatory requirements for specific judicial districts”, user data generated by users after the Meta acquisition of Manus may be deleted. The statement clarifies that this is "a part of the separation between Manus and Meta" and that Manus will transition to "independent operations."
The data backup window provided by Manus ends at 7:59 AM on August 23 in Singapore time. The period from 8:00 AM on August 23 to 8:00 AM on August 24 is designated as the data deletion period. After this time, the backup window will close, and affected regions and users will be unable to access Manus temporarily. The restoration portal will be reopened at 8:00 AM on August 25.
This is the latest explanation given by Manus regarding the company’s operating status and user data arrangements, following the request from Chinese regulatory authorities to cancel the Meta acquisition deal.
In April this year, the National Development and Reform Commission announced that the Office for the Working Mechanism of Foreign Investment Safety Review (National Development and Reform Commission) had made a decision to prohibit investment in the Manus project based on laws and regulations, requiring the parties involved to cancel the acquisition transaction.
At a regular press conference held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 28, a AFP reporter asked what China's position was regarding the ban imposed by China on foreign investors acquiring Manus. Chinese officials opposed the continuation of this transaction. What is China's comment on this transaction? And what is their comment on the export ban?
Spokesperson Lin Jian said: "For specific questions, please consult the relevant Chinese authorities. As a principle, I would like to emphasize that the Chinese government reviews foreign investments in accordance with laws and regulations, and makes the necessary decisions."
