IANAL but I don't think it matters whether the purpose of collection is specifically to facilitate paid features. From the European Commission:
> The GDPR applies to:
[...]
> 2. a company established outside the EU and is offering goods/services (paid or for free) or is monitoring the behaviour of individuals in the EU.
Assuming account names or the content of comments constitute personal data within GDPR, I think YCombinator falls into this group.
Edit: I forgot HN collects an optional email address too, which is definitely personal data.
> The GDPR applies to: [...] > 2. a company established outside the EU and is offering goods/services (paid or for free) or is monitoring the behaviour of individuals in the EU.
Assuming account names or the content of comments constitute personal data within GDPR, I think YCombinator falls into this group.
Edit: I forgot HN collects an optional email address too, which is definitely personal data.
Details here: https://www.ycombinator.com/legal/#:~:text=Hacker%20News%20I...