The largest manufacturer of PCs has been dealing with claims of racism since two computer store employees posted a video demonstrating that HP’s new face-tracking webcam software has an apparent flaw.

“I think my blackness is interfering with the computer’s ability to follow me,” says the man in the video below. The man, Desi, and his coworker, Wanda, then go on to show how the computer’s camera can find her face but not his.

“Hewlett-Packard computers are racist. I said it,” Desi proclaims, laughing. “And the worst part is, I bought one for Christmas. I hope my wife doesn’t see this YouTube video.”

Well, Desi, she probably has — the video has gotten over 300K views and counting.

As the video gained attention, HP owed a response.

That came via a company blog post, authored by lead social media strategist Tony “Frosty” Welch.

“Everything we do is focused on ensuring that we provide a high-quality experience for all our customers, who are ethnically diverse and live and work around the world,” Welch wrote in the post, titled Customer Feedback Is Important to Us. “That’s why when issues surface, we take them seriously and work hard to understand the root causes.”

He then explained that the technology is built on algorithms that measure the difference in contrast between the eyes and upper cheek. He implied that “insufficient foreground lighting” was to blame in Desi’s case. Then, like a good tech guy, he directed readers to a page of webcam optimization tips.

Was it enough?

HP clearly handled the situation with some finesse. That it responded at all is very important.

At this point, though definitely viral, the video isn’t exactly halting the Internets. So a simple, friendly (and guarded) response was appropriate. After all, people expect techies to talk like techies. No one will believe that HP intentionally built racist computers.

But what if other customers begin uploading more videos showing the same failure in the face-tracking software? If this situation grows, people will look back to the company’s first responses and judge them every step of the way. Proceed with caution, HP.

In the meantime, how about at least a giftcard or something for Desi?

Face it — no pun intended — you kind of owe him on this one.