World's giant manufacturer of PCs and computer equipment, Hewlett-Packard has started a major probe into a claim which asserts that webcams that have been integrated by the company in its computers are not capable of picking up and tracking "facial movements of black individuals", and only seem to function properly when used by "Caucasians or people of other lighter-skinned races".

The probe has been a direct result of a YouTube video, in which, a black man who calls himself Desi, has been shown demonstrating the problem. The integrated camera, which is actually designed to follow a user's head movements, is unsuccessful to track Desi as he moves in and out of the frame.

"I'm going on the record and I'm saying it, Hewlett-Packard computers are racist", says Desi, while confirming that he is using an HP Media Smart PC.

HP, in a post on the company's official blog, has stressed that the company is taking the claim very "seriously" and all the required investigations are underway.

"Everything we do is focused on ensuring that we provide a high-quality experience for all our customers, who are ethnically diverse and work around the world. That's why when issues surface, we take them seriously and work hard to understand the root causes", said HP Social Media Strategist Tony Welch.