BEIJING (Reuters) — AI startup Manus said on Tuesday it will resume operating as an independent company and some user data will be deleted as part of its separation from U.S. tech giant Meta.

"As part of our transition back to independent operations and to comply with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions, data generated by certain users on/after December 29, 2025," will be deleted later this month, Manus said in a statement.

Affected users will be notified through the Manus app and by email and will be able to back up their data, the company said.

"This is part of our separation from Meta," it said.

In April, Beijing ordered Meta to unwind its $2 billion-plus acquisition of Manus as China tightened scrutiny of U.S. investment in Chinese startups developing frontier technologies.

Chinese gaming and internet company Tencent has been in talks to become Manus' largest shareholder, Reuters reported in July.