Manus Service Change Brings Refunds, Data Deletion and Outage

artificial intelligence customer data manus meta subscription operations Aug 24, 2026

The global AI subscription company is separating from Meta after China ordered the acquisition unwound. For some users, the result is canceled subscriptions, refunds, deleted data and lost access.

Manus, a Singapore-based AI agent company with Chinese roots, is becoming independent again after separating from Meta.

For some customers, that ownership change has reached all the way into their subscriptions and saved work.

Affected users are currently unable to access Manus while the company deletes certain customer data and subscription records. Some subscriptions were canceled earlier this month, with prorated refunds issued and temporary free access provided until the deletion period began.

Why would a company need to do all of this?

The disruption follows the unwinding of Meta's December 2025 acquisition of Manus, a deal reported to be worth more than $2 billion. China ordered the parties to unwind the acquisition in April.

Although Manus is based in Singapore, its technology and founders have deep ties to China. Chinese authorities reviewed the Meta deal over concerns involving foreign investment and cross-border technology and data.

The review reached Manus's leadership too. Multiple reports said two of the company's co-founders were told by Chinese authorities not to leave China while the investigation was underway.

Manus now says it must delete certain customer data as it separates from Meta and complies with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions.

The company has not identified those jurisdictions or explained the specific legal requirement behind the deletions.

Manus Built a Large Global Subscription Business Quickly

Manus says it serves millions of users around the world. Twilio, which provides technology used in the company's customer onboarding, says Manus brought more than 3 million users onto the platform in two months during its rapid global launch.

The company has reported adoption among consumers and knowledge workers across industries including financial services, legal, consulting and healthcare.

Paid subscriptions grew quickly.

In December 2025, Manus reported reaching $100 million in annual recurring revenue just eight months after introducing paid subscriptions. The company offers individual Pro subscriptions and multi-seat Team plans alongside its free service.

What Is Happening to Subscribers

Manus began notifying affected users on August 11.

Manus is treating affected accounts differently depending largely on whether the subscription or data dates from before or after December 29, 2025, when Meta acquired the company.

For some affected customers whose subscriptions began on or after that date, Manus canceled active subscriptions and began issuing prorated refunds to the original payment method. Those customers received free access at their existing subscription tier until the deletion period began.

Other users kept their subscriptions but face deletion of certain task data, Manus-generated work and third-party connections created after the acquisition.

Some accounts face full deletion, including subscription records and associated data. Manus says unused balances and certain other assets will also be refunded.

Refunds are processed automatically within seven days, according to the company.

A Two-Day Deletion and Outage Window

The data-deletion period began at 8:00 a.m. Singapore time on August 23, or 8:00 p.m. Eastern on August 22.

It runs through 7:59 a.m. Singapore time on August 25, or 7:59 p.m. Eastern on August 24.

During that window, Manus says affected users and users in affected regions cannot access the service. Customers who are not affected can continue using Manus normally.

The data being removed may include account information, subscription records, task data, Manus-generated work and third-party connector authorizations.

Affected customers had from August 11 until the deletion period began to download backups. Those files are now required to restore eligible data.

The restoration portal is scheduled to open at 8:00 a.m. Singapore time on August 25, or 8:00 p.m. Eastern on August 24. Customers whose accounts are fully deleted may need to create a new account.

Team Accounts Add Another Complication

For Team subscribers, what happens to the workspace can depend on the status of the team owner's account.

A team may keep its subscription while certain member data is deleted. If the owner's account requires full deletion, the entire team account and its data may also be removed.

Team owners are responsible for backing up and restoring team data. Individual members cannot restore the workspace themselves.

Insider Take

Most subscribers don't spend much time thinking about the ownership structure behind a service they pay for.

They care about simpler things. Can I get into my account? Is the work I paid to create still there?

Manus shows how quickly those basic parts of a subscription relationship can be disrupted when something much bigger changes behind the scenes.

A cross-border acquisition was completed. Regulators later ordered it unwound. Now customers are experiencing the separation through canceled subscriptions, lost access and changes to their data.

A decision made far from billing or customer service can still land directly in the customer relationship.