Abstract: A method for secure video surveillance with privacy features includes processing a video stream on a camera device to identify actionable privacy objects (APOs), extracting coordinates associated with the identified APOs to a metadata stream, and masking the identified APOs in the video stream. The video stream and the metadata stream are stored on at least one memory device associated with a remote video management system (VMS) that is communicatively coupled to the camera device. Selected ones of the identified APOs in the video stream are unmasked based on received user credentials, and using the extracted coordinates in the metadata stream, to create a modified video stream. The modified video stream is presented on a remote display device that is communicatively coupled to the remote VMS. A system for secure video surveillance is also provided.