What happened in the Meta-Manus deal — from the $2 billion acquisition and Beijing's order to unwind it, to the operational split completed in June 2026, including the data firewall, restrictions on Manus staff, lingering questions about remaining access to Meta's tools, and the

The Operational Split (Completed June 2026)

By June 11, 2026, Meta confirmed it had completed an operational separation from Manus . Key steps included:

• Data firewall erected: Meta effectively built a wall between itself and Manus, halting all data sharing between the two companies .
• Manus staff cut off: Since the beginning of June 2026, Meta blocked Manus and its employees from accessing Meta's internal data systems .
• Meta employees restricted: Meta staff were told they could no longer use Manus tools for internal projects .
• Sunsetting Manus services: Per an internal Bloomberg-reviewed memo, Meta instructed employees to migrate existing Manus projects onto Meta's own systems and to stop launching new work on the Manus platform .

Lingering Questions

Remaining access to Meta's tools. While the data firewall and access restrictions are in place, reports note that the operational split is a "pivotal step" toward full unwinding — not the final legal dissolution of the deal itself . It remains unclear whether any residual access, licensing, or intellectual property arrangements persist in the interim.

Unresolved financial mechanics. The biggest open question is how the $2 billion+ price tag gets reversed. Manus's three co-founders are in discussions to raise about $1 billion from external investors to buy back the Chinese-founded AI operation from Meta . That is roughly half the original purchase price, and the structure — whether Meta takes a loss, retains a minority stake, or receives other consideration — has not been finalized or publicly disclosed . The founders are also reportedly exploring other options, and the timeline for a complete financial unwind remains unclear .

In short, the operational and data separation is done, but the legal reversal of ownership and the financial terms of the buyback are still under negotiation as of mid-June 2026.