Login.gov sounds like a great idea: a single way to access services provided by numerous federal agencies, like passports and small-business loans. But its creation was stymied by a simple problem: “the government” isn’t a monolithic institution. It’s a complex web of independent agencies that often can’t share personal information thanks to the Privacy Act of 1974. So when the State Department wants to verify your identity to issue you a new passport, verifying your identity through the Social Security Administration can be quite a challenge. Politico has a fascinating article on how this dynamic forces the federal government to buy back its own information from shady private data brokers.