The invention provides a data read and write privilege control method based on an optical storage array. The method includes the steps of providing the optical storage array, wherein the optical storage array comprises a read-only optical drive set, a disc-carving optical drive set and at least one disc; recognizing read and write privilege, requesting to have access to the at least one disc, of an external system; if the external system is recognized to be a management system with write privilege, triggering the management system to have access to the disc-carving optical drive set, and writing in and/or erasing data of the at least one disc; if the external system is recognized to be an access system with read-only privilege, triggering the access system to have access to the read-only optical drive set, and reading the data from the at least one disc. Correspondingly, the invention further provides an optical storage system with a read and write hierarchical control function. The method and the system can improve safety of background data read and write privilege control.