Chinese Government Investigates Meta's Acquisition of AI Startup Manus

JAKARTA - The Chinese government is currently reviewing Meta's acquisition of Manus, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up. This review is being conducted due to alleged violations of technology control related to asset transfers.

The acquisition of Manus is known to be worth 2 billion US dollars or around Rp33.5 trillion. Launching from the Financial Times, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce is assessing whether the relocation of Manus staff and technology to Singapore requires official export permits.

This is a concern because Chinese law strictly regulates the transfer of sensitive technology to foreign parties. The local government wants to ensure that the sale of the AI agent's technology to Meta does not violate data sovereignty rules.

Although the review is still in its early stages, the evaluation results may affect the sustainability of the acquisition. If the government decides that a transfer license is needed, Beijing has the legal authority to intervene or even forcibly cancel the deal.

Meta completed the acquisition of Manus in December last year with a very high valuation. This acquisition is based on Manus technology which was viral. The AI agent from the company proved to be successful in carrying out complex tasks independently.

This ability is considered very sophisticated, even far from the standard of popular AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek. In line with Meta's efforts to strengthen its innovation in the field of AI, it is not surprising that the company that oversees Facebook and Instagram finally decided to acquire Manus.

To date, neither Meta nor Manus have provided official comments regarding the review that the Chinese government is conducting. However, the government is deliberately considering the need for this regulation to protect its intellectual assets.