Meta’s Manus acquisition blocked
April 27, 2026
Meta – the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – has seen its proposed acquisition of AI start-up Manus blocked by Chinese regulators.
First announced in December 2025, Meta said the deal – estimated to be worth around $2 billion (€1.7bn) – would see Manus’s agents used to boost to its own AI across its platforms. But, according to reports, Beijing’s National Development and Reform Commission has prohibited foreign investment in the deal, requiring “the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction”.
A Meta spokesperson told the BBC “the transaction complied fully with applicable law,” adding: “we anticipate an appropriate resolution to the inquiry.”
Manus is an autonomous AI agent designed to act as a ‘general AI agent’ to actively execute multi-step, complex tasks. Developed by the Chinese startup Butterfly Effect and launched in March 2025, Manus is often described as an action engine that can plan, browse the web, write code and deliver finished projects without requiring continuous human guidance
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