Identity Malta rebrands as Identità on heels of voter fraud allegations

Identity Malta has a new identity. The government agency, which oversees ID cards, passports, visas, residence documents, public deeds and civil status records, will now be known as Identità.

A new look and logo will presumably help distinguish it from the Italian shoe company that goes by the same name. The agency’s fresh branding features what the Times of Malta describes as a red watchtower emblem fashioned to look like a biometric fingerprint.

Agency officials told the Times that the logo is meant to symbolize authenticity, security, and innovation, and to embody Identità’s commitment to protecting citizens from identity theft and document fraud. The biometric print is an acknowledgment of the agency’s digital future, as services increasingly move online.

The re-brand, said CEO Mark Mallia, is the natural result of years of transformation and diversification. The old, orange-and-blue branded Identity Malta was established in 2014 to oversee general identity services. “Our services have expanded a great deal over those ten years, so it made sense to give the agency a new dress after that voyage.”

According to the Malta Independent, in the first seven months of 2023, the agency formerly known as Identity Malta issued more than 34,000 passports and nearly 13,000 identity cards – numbers that reflect increasing demand for the identity services it provides.

“Whether you are travelling abroad, relocating to Malta, purchasing your new home, getting married or have recently given birth, you will require our services,” said Mallia. “Everyone has a story. Identità officialises it.”

The new look and moniker were conveniently announced a month after a whistleblower came forth with allegations that the agency had facilitated widespread voter fraud. Officials from Identity Malta have denied claims that they participated in falsifying identity cards to sway the election.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  Identità  |  identity document  |  Malta