WALL STREET JOURNAL - Feb 4 - Match Group is betting love seekers will still pay up for privacy in their dating lives. Given Facebook's struggles over data leaks recently, that seems like a solid bet. Data suggest Match's users prefer the separation of their dating lives from their social lives. Originally, new users joining Tinder had to do so with Facebook. Now they are given the option of signing up via SMS. Match reported in May that 75% of new users sign up via SMS rather than Facebook after the change, which took effect in 2017. Match Group shares are now up more than 48% for the last six months, fetching a valuation of about 35 times forward earnings.