Empower Rideshare Ordered to Shut Down in Maryland | Annapolis News

A Maryland judge has slapped a stop-work order on rideshare app Empower, citing grave public safety risks from its unregulated operations — and the company now has just 15 days to fight it. This isn’t new: Empower’s disruptive model — slashing fares, boosting driver pay, and claiming half of Maryland’s ride-hail market — has clashed with regulators for years. The company insists it’s a self-employed driver platform needing no special licensing, relying on drivers’ own insurance. But regulators say they can’t verify safety without access to critical data — like vehicle recalls, insurance status, or criminal records — which Empower refuses to share. If the order stands, Empower could face massive fines, echoing penalties in D.C., while its app still shows rides available in Baltimore as of Thursday. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/1a338a4bdb6044cd