Chinese officials are reviewing Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus for possible technology control violations, FT reported on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Meta Platforms is set to test new subscription models across its apps, including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp in the coming months, according to a report from TechCrunch on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report, confirmed by a Meta spokesperson, said the subscriptions are expected to “unlock more productivity and creativity” by giving paid users access to more features and expanded AI capabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meta’s recently acquired suite of general AI agents under Manus will also be scaled as part of the subscription plans. Meta Platforms bought<\/a> Manus \u2014 a Singapore-based developer of AI agents founded in China \u2014 in December for a reported $2 billion.<\/p>\n With its new subscription plans, Meta could be seeking a return on investment from its massive spending on AI talent and acquisitions last year, even before the Manus purchase.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Meta has been developing large language models under the Llama umbrella, those have been open-sourced. That means general access to Llama has remained free, unlike with paid plans from AI leaders like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.<\/p>\n Other features offered as part of Meta’s paid plans could include full access to its AI-powered short-form video experience Vibes, which allows users to create and remix AI-generated videos.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Vibes has been free since its launch in 2025, the new subscription model would grant free access to its basic version, with the option to pay for additional features.\u00a0<\/p>\n