The invention relates to an image shielding method. The image shielding method comprises that when a monitoring platform receives a video obtaining request sent by a video access terminal, an integrated virtualization manager (IVM) forwards the video obtaining request to an intelligent video unit (IVU)/ an intelligent envelop unit (IEU); the IVU/the IEU obtains corresponding original video information from the monitoring platform; the IVU/ the IEU conducts extraction of background images and a foreground target to the original video information, and image semantic analysis of the foreground target is conducted; the IVU/the IEU enables obtained target semantic description information to be matched with preset shielding rules or a preset shielding standard model base, whether image shielding is required is identified, if the image shielding is required, shielding of partial areas or whole areas of the foreground target in the original video information is conducted through the IVU/ the IEU, and video information after the image shielding is obtained; and the IVU/the IEU returns the video information after the image shielding to the video access terminal through the monitoring platform. According to the image shielding method and an image shielding system, intelligent object recognition technology is utilized to enable content in video images to be automatically analyzed and made out, the target is analyzed, then the image shielding is conducted, and therefore, workload of workers is reduced.