diff --git a/hive/indexer/follow.py b/hive/indexer/follow.py
index f01028b1a57eb03313506d6f7f0585b1b78f2fb1..79b0ee876f8ca101c3290dd1b4256746144ede6d 100644
--- a/hive/indexer/follow.py
+++ b/hive/indexer/follow.py
@@ -87,15 +87,6 @@ class Follow(DbAdapterHolder):
             return None
 
         op['following'] = op['following'] if isinstance(op['following'], list) else [op['following']]
-        
-        # additional layer of protection against putting complex data types as user names
-        as_str = []
-        for following in op['following']:
-            if isinstance(following, list) or isinstance(following, dict):
-                as_str.append(dumps(following))
-            else:
-                as_str.append(str(following))
-        op['following'] = as_str
 
         # mimic original behaviour
         # if following name does not exist do not process it: basically equal to drop op for single following entry
diff --git a/mock_data/block_data/follow_op/mock_block_data_follow.json b/mock_data/block_data/follow_op/mock_block_data_follow.json
index 45dd18a6ffabb37a1d25c24fed1e97a8566280a4..f33ebfaa1fc0729bfdd6fb3a575ef90fd38976a3 100644
--- a/mock_data/block_data/follow_op/mock_block_data_follow.json
+++ b/mock_data/block_data/follow_op/mock_block_data_follow.json
@@ -442,83 +442,6 @@
               "id": "follow",
               "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":\"tester1\",\"following\":[\"tester3\", {\"gtg\":\"gtg\"}],\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
             }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "tester1"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":\"tester1\",\"following\":[\"tester7\", \"<script>alert('hello world');</script>\"],\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "{\"tester1\":\"tester1\"}"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":{\"tester1\":\"tester1\"},\"following\":{\"tester3\":\"tester4\"},\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "tester1"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":\"tester1\",\"following\":{\"tester3\":\"tester4\"},\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "tester1"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":\"tester1\",\"following\":[\"tester3\", [\"tester4\"]],\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "tester1"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":[\"tester1\"],\"following\":[\"tester3\", [\"tester4\"]],\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "[\"tester1\"]"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":[\"tester1\"],\"following\":[\"tester3\", {\"tester4\":\"tester5\"}],\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "custom_json_operation",
-            "value": {
-              "required_auths": [],
-              "required_posting_auths": [
-                "tester1"
-              ],
-              "id": "follow",
-              "json": "[\"follow\",{\"follower\":\"tester1\",\"following\":[\"tester3\", {\"tester4\":\"tester5\"}],\"what\":[\"blog\"]}]"
-            }
           }
         ]
       }