Systems and methods for preserving privacy in distribution of content using private tokens in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of anonymously tracking a digital content and remediating unauthorized distribution includes generating a private token including an identifier distinguishable from tokens generated by other playback devices and the association with the playback device is not shared, receiving a portion of content, embedding a digital watermark in the content, where the digital watermark includes the private token, detecting an unauthorized copy of the content, extracting the digital watermark from the unauthorized copy of the content, broadcasting an enforcement message containing the private token to the playback devices, receiving the enforcement message, and performing an enforcement action on the playback device in response, where only a playback device that generated the private token responds.