The data retention directive contains some serious flaws but the most serious is that it does not make clear who will pay for it, experts say European legislation on data retention which is in soon to become law in Britain contains some serious flaws, according to technical and legal experts. The data retention directive that the UK, Ireland and Sweden pushed into EU law last month would make it a requirement for telecommunications companies and ISPs to save information about customers’ phone calls and electronic communications for up to two years.