[ForTheWin98]

Even if GDPR does not apply, California's CCPA mandates a right to delete. I don't see any way around that.

[lelandfe]

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...

> A business that receives a verifiable consumer request from a consumer to delete the consumer’s personal information pursuant to subdivision (a) of this section shall delete the consumer’s personal information from its records

Is a comment personal information?

[shagie]

https://calawyers.org/antitrust-unfair-competition-law/what-...

> The CCPA definition of personal information can be best understood by analyzing separately each of the four closely intertwined building blocks embedded in it: (i) “information”; (ii) “that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked”; (iii) “directly or indirectly”; (iv) “with a particular consumer or household”.

A comment would likely not meet those tests.

A user login maybe - though that is already covered in the faqs - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html

> Can I change my username?

> Yes. Email [e-mail] and we'll help.

Which could then dissociate you sufficiently to pass the tests ii through iv.

That might work for me (my user name is relatively unique and consistent) while throwaway123456 may have difficulty passing any of those tests.

[9wzYQbTYsAIc]

> A comment would likely not meet those tests.

The HN legal page ( linked at the footer of the site ) indicates that Y Combinator considers public submissions to HN (stories and comments) as a category of Personal Information.

[ForTheWin98]

Arguably, and in my own view, yes! The stylometry website linked comment texts to persons.

The courts or legislature are the ones to decide this. I believe they could side with my view.