Which of the following scenarios would be regulated by the U.S. Privacy Act of 1974?

The U.S. Privacy Act of 1974 specifically regulates how federal agencies handle personal information about individuals. It aims to protect individual privacy by establishing requirements for the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personal information held by federal agencies. Under this Act, individuals have certain rights regarding their data, including the right to access records maintained by these agencies.

In the scenario where a federal agency is distributing the medical and employment history of various individuals, this activity falls directly under the purview of the Privacy Act. Such sensitive personal data is precisely the type of information that the Act seeks to protect, ensuring that individuals' privacy is respected and that they have control over their personal information.

In contrast, the other scenarios involve entities that do not fall under the regulatory framework established by the Privacy Act. Financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies are governed by different regulations and statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which address data collection and privacy from different perspectives. A private individual collecting personal data is not subject to the Privacy Act as it pertains specifically to federal entities. Therefore, the scenario involving the federal agency distributing medical and employment history clearly aligns with the provisions of the U.S. Privacy Act of 1974.