LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir

Starmer has called on social media companies to "step up and

take responsibility" over children's online safety, ahead of a

Thursday meeting with executives from Meta, Snap

, Google, TikTok and X.

Starmer's government has ramped up scrutiny of social media

companies, saying children were being exposed to harm online

without clear accountability, and has pledged to act to limit

the impact of such apps on sleep, family life and schoolwork.

"Social media shapes how children see themselves, their

friendships and the world around them. When that comes with real

risks, looking the other way is not an option," Starmer said

ahead of the meeting.

"I will take whatever steps necessary to keep children safe

online. Today is about making sure social media companies step

up and take responsibility," he added.

The government acknowledged some protections already

introduced by some social media companies - such as disabling

autoplay on YouTube for children and giving parents greater

control over screen time, including curfews - but Starmer wants

to go further.

Britain is consulting until next month on whether to

restrict children's access to social media, including a possible

ban for under-16s, as well as curfews, app time limits and curbs

on what it described as addictive design features.

Australia last year became the first country to ban social

media for children under 16, with European countries considering

similar measures.