Microsoft ad turns Black man to white

White face superimposed on black man in online advertisement

White face superimposed on black man in online advertisement

Software giant Microsoft Corp is apologising for altering a photo on its Web site to change the race of one of the people shown in the picture.

Face Off: While the face of the man was changed, his hand wasn't

A photo on the Seattle-based company's US Web site shows two men, one Asian and one black, and a white woman seated at a conference room table.

But on the Web site of Microsoft's Polish business unit, the black man's head has been replaced with that of a white man. The colour of his hand remains unchanged.

The photo editing sparked criticism online. Some bloggers said Poland's ethnic homogeneity may have played a role in changing the photo.

"We are looking into the details of this situation," Microsoft spokesperson Lou Gellos said in a statement Tuesday.

"We apologise and are in the process of pulling down the image."