Chinese officials are reviewing Meta Platforms Inc.’s (META, Financials) $2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus to determine whether the deal breached technology control regulations, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.
The review, led by China’s commerce ministry, focuses on whether Manus’ relocation of staff and technology from China to Singapore required an export license before its sale to Meta. The assessment remains in early stages and may not result in a formal investigation, but could give Beijing influence over the deal’s outcome.
Meta completed the acquisition of Singapore-based Manus last month, reportedly valuing the company between $2 billion and $3 billion. Manus drew attention earlier this year after unveiling what it called the world’s first general AI agent capable of autonomous reasoning and decision-making with minimal prompting compared with systems such as ChatGPT.
Neither Meta nor Manus has commented on the reported review. Analysts said the move underscores growing regulatory scrutiny over cross-border AI transactions, especially those involving technologies with potential dual-use or national security implications.