Video surveillance is a "double-edged sword", which not only protects people's safety, but also infringes on people's privacy. With the development of society, the contradiction between them has become prominent. Based on the analysis of the current situation of video surveillance and privacy protection in China, combined with the advanced experience of video surveillance and privacy protection abroad, this paper puts forward the countermeasures for protecting citizens' privacy in video surveillance system. By strengthening the legislation of privacy protection in public places, strengthening the video surveillance system and clarifying the legal responsibility of privacy in video surveillance, the problem can be solved.