The invention relates to an image privacy protection method and system. The method comprises the following implementation steps that a user extracts four kinds of indexes, containing time, space, interpersonal relationships and image attributes, in an image through an image access control element extraction method, a privacy scene is established through a multi-element access control method basedon a scene, and an access authorization of the user for the image under the privacy scene is set; when the image is uploaded, metadata information in the image is extracted, a stakeholder in the imageis identified through a face identification technology, and elements required by a privacy protection strategy are calculated; when other users access the image, by matching the access authorizationof a visitor with the access authorization of the privacy scene which the image belongs to, namely by matching the privacy protection strategy of the scene which the image belongs to with the sharingrange of the image under the privacy scene, whether or not the user can access the image or the privacy area in the image is determined.