[interpol_p]

No, and that is because there is a significant difference between a user unmasking the password through DOM manipulation and browsing a settings page. Please realise that the former behaviour requires more malicious intent.

I expect some level of security to stop people browsing my passwords casually, which Chrome allows in its current design.

I am not talking about fending off determined attackers, I am talking about levels of trust that you place in friends and coworkers. Chrome lowers the barrier-to-access by design.

The simple fact is: there are people I would trust using my computer who would never actively try to circumvent my security to read my passwords, but I would not trust them not to take a peek at my Chrome settings page passwords.