The Architecture of Seamlessness and the Topological Collapse of Agency: A Unified Network-Thermodynamic, Legal, and Laboratory Audit Framework for the R-CRIT-AUDITOR Protocol

Modern digital ecosystems and generative algorithmic interfaces operate on a destructive paradigm of minimizing cognitive resistance ("zero friction") to maximize engagement through behavioural capture. In this work, I integrate the Free Energy Principle (FEP) with non-equilibrium information-thermodynamic network models (graph diffusion formalisms) and observer-centric topological field theory to demonstrate that the systematic elimination of ecological friction is not merely a benign UX optimization, but an artificial imposition of degenerate symmetry that destroys the agent's structural asymmetry. This forces a collapse into a pathological attractor, driving both individual parametric atrophy and macro-systemic spectral collapse. By grounding my parameters in open behavioral and cognitive datasets (such as EU Digital Fairness studies and the COLET cognitive workload benchmark), I introduce the critical cognitive friction threshold, operationalize the Cognitive Autonomy Degradation Index (CADI), and formalize R-CRIT-AUDITOR—a comprehensive clinical-engineering interface audit protocol coupled with an institutional regulatory compliance wrapper, an actionable ethical friction design framework, and a standardized laboratory testing SOP aimed at preserving human mental integrity.