Pretty soon, the current terrorist warning system will be a sad state of blue. But not a literal shade of blue, because describing threat levels with colors will soon go by the wayside.
(More on TIME.com: Read about the many shades of Homeland Security.)
The Homeland Security Department has been reviewing the system for over a year, and the shades of green, blue, yellow, orange and red will soon disappear by April 27. They’ll begin phasing the colors, which have been in effect since 2001, out this week.
(More on TIME.com: Read about the changes to the colored terror alerts in 2006.)
The new system, the National Terrorism Advisory System, will notify specific audiences about particular threats and be more targeted than the old system. As the Associated Press reports, the agency will issue announcements in case of an emergency, and “rely on news organizations and social media” to spread the message.
The colors were ridiculous already, but is it Twitter’s responsibility now? Code orange. (via Associated Press)