New York City Sues to Ban ‘Unlawful’ Empower Ridehail App

New York City sued ridehail app Empower and founder Joshua Sear, claiming the company has been operating unlawfully without a license the past few years even as the service gained popularity by offering cheap fares to customers.

Empower has violated local laws by failing to apply for relevant licenses since it began operating in the city in 2022, New York said in a lawsuit filed Friday in state court. The city said it seeks to permanently ban the “unlawful” ridehail service.

“New York City will not tolerate companies that flout the law while putting drivers, passengers, and the public at ...