Objectives:
This study aims to identify the structural, psychological, and technological forces that enable the rapid diffusion of digital disinformation and to assess their cumulative impact on democratic stability. It focuses on how platform governance, cognitive vulnerabilities, and emergent authority structures (particularly parasocial leaders) interact to reshape public opinion formation in online environments.

Methods:
Adopting an interdisciplinary approach grounded in communication theory, cognitive psychology, and platform studies, the research examines algorithmic architectures, echo-chamber patterns, and bias-driven engagement dynamics. The Wayback Machine is used as an empirical tool to track the growth trajectories of selected disinformation-driven accounts on X after the platform’s deregulation, allowing longitudinal comparison of visibility, reach, and interaction patterns.

Results:
Findings indicate that reduced moderation accelerates the bandwagon effect and intensifies self-reinforcing echo chambers, enabling manipulative narratives to gain disproportionate visibility. Parasocial leaders emerge as pivotal actors: their perceived authenticity and charisma help bypass traditional epistemic filters, making audiences more susceptible to emotionally charged or misleading content. The study shows that disinformation spreads not only because of false claims but because platform design and psychological predispositions jointly amplify persuasive distortions.

Conclusions:
The article concludes that disinformation represents a systemic challenge rooted in technological infrastructures, cognitive dynamics, and shifting forms of authority. Addressing requires coordinated regulatory reforms, enhanced digital literacy, transparent platform governance, and collaborative technological interventions. These multilayered strategies are essential for strengthening democratic resilience amid increasingly opaque and algorithmically shaped information ecosystems.