China blocks Meta’s $2B Manus deal after months-long probe

TechCrunch AI — Apr 27, 15:16 ★★★★★

China has blocked and ordered Meta to unwind a $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an AI agent startup, after a months-long regulatory review.

China's Ministry of Commerce rejected the deal; Manus builds AI agents that Meta planned to integrate into its platform. Chinese regulators used merger control powers to veto the transaction, citing unspecified national interest concerns.

Sofia's take: Beijing is no longer pretending. This is not a competition issue. This is a foreign capability control. Expect every AI agent deal touching China to see this treatment. The precedent is set.

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#Meta #Agents #China #Acquisition

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4× reported Also at BBC Tech · FT Tech · e27

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